


The Last of Us Part II: What if...

by Merrywise



Category: TLOU2 - Fandom, The Last of Us, The Last of Us 2 - Fandom, The Last of Us Part II - Fandom
Genre: Ellie and Abby have a lot in common, Ellie and Abby killing infected and bad people side by side, F/F, I finally wrote the ending, I love Abby, Loving the ride, No idea how many chapters will be, Slow Burn, i love ellie, i love this game, the biggest what if (for me)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-04 21:21:14
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 57
Words: 140,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25382995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Merrywise/pseuds/Merrywise
Summary: What if Dina doesn’t kiss Ellie. What if Abby doesn’t do that terrible thing she does at the beginning of the game.---------------This story begins with Abby running from a horde of infected. She sees someone signaling, but has no idea who he is, right now she just needs a safe place. In there, she will meet someone who will change her life. Now she needs to be smart about it."Same" game, but Ellie and Abby together... It sure makes a difference!!Let a girl dream... I had so many "what if" in my mind while playing the game... but this one was the biggest :P*Sorry for grammar/vocabulary issues, English is not my native language.
Relationships: Abby & Ellie (The Last of Us), Abby/Ellie (The Last of Us), Ellie & Abby, Ellie/Abby
Comments: 348
Kudos: 440





	1. “You’re safe”

Abby was running for her life. Dozens of infected were chasing her, the grunts and screams ringing in her ears. She jumped on top of a car, fell to the other side, and continued running.

She could see someone making signs at her and instinctively followed. The man urged her to come along and together they got to the back of an old store. The curtain was half open and they entered quickly.

Her side was hurting from the effort and she was panting.

Suddenly the man grabbed her arm right when an infected was trying to scratch it. They ran around the house and over the fence. A horrible sound made their blood froze, a huge bloater was joining the horde.

“Over here” the man yelled over the racket behind them.

“We need to jump. Don’t look down”

“What?” was all that Abby got to say and saw him running and jumping out of sight.

There was no time to hesitate. She followed and jumped too, but one look down was enough to make her dizzy. She hit her head hard on the concrete border and fell motionless on the soft snow.

“Kid! You OK? Kid? Shit…” The man grabbed her and carried her in his arms until they reached a metal curtain.

“Right… here” he said as he left her lying next to him.

He started pulling the chain that slowly opened the curtain, but it got stuck. The sound of someone running on the snow towards them made him startle.

“Tommy! You ok?”

“Yeah, I saw a horde near here. Where you there?” he asked and looked at Abby.

He was about to answer when a yell came from inside.

“Who’s there?” someone asked from the other side of the curtain.

“Ellie, it’s us. Can you open this?”

“Joel? I can’t, it’s stuck”

“Alright, let me see if I can...” Joel passed through the opening to the other side.

“Tommy, help me with her, would you?”

“Sure”

Together they pushed an unconscious Abby through the half opened door under Ellie’s astonished gaze.

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know. We met right in front of the horde. She hit her head when we jumped”.

“Joel, we need to go deal with that” Tommy said pointing his thumb towards the horrible sounds of the infected.

“I know. Ellie, can you take care of her? Where’s Jesse?” he said looking around.

“He’s cleaning the guns upstairs”

“We're gonna lead the horde away, probably will have to spend the night on the south post"

“How many are there?”

“Too many to count. We need to get going, see you in Jackson tomorrow. Close this behind us”

“Joel, be careful" she said feeling nervous.

“Always” he answered with the trace of a smile.

Ellie closed the metal curtain and looked at Abby. Her lips were starting to get pale. She fetched a blanket and covered her.

“Jesse, come down here. I need your help” there was no answer.

“Jesse!” she yelled a little louder.

“What?!!” Jesse asked in a hurry and ran towards Ellie.

“Can you help me?”

“Who is she?”

“I don’t know. Joel said he found her running from a horde. She hit her head”

“Ok. We need to be extra careful then”

They moved her very slowly towards the fireplace.

“I’m halfway with the guns, do you need anything?”

“No, go finish that. I’ll stay here” Ellie sat next to Abby and leaned her back on a couch.

She was thinking whether to take her jacket off when a moan alerted her. She got closer and examined her face. A little bump was clearly appearing in her forehead, next to a droplet of sweat.

Ellie unzipped Abby’s jacket very slowly, but with firm hands.

“That’s better, I think”

Abby moaned again and moved a little. She opened her eyes and saw a tall ceiling. It was warm.

When she turned to look sideways, she grimaced.

“How do you feel?” Ellie asked concerned.

“Mmm.. I don’t know. Where am I?”

“You’re safe”

Abby tried to sit and immediately felt that something was wrong.

“Are you hurt?”

“My arm. I think it’s out of its socket”.

Ellie got closer to her.

“Can I…?” she said tugging at Abby’s jacket.

“Sure… thanks”

With great difficulty and very carefully Ellie helped Abby out of her jacket. She paused a second when she was examining her arm.

“Yup… it’s out”

“Damn it”

“I can help you, if you want”.

“Have you done this before?”

Ellie giggled when she noticed a tinge of fear in Abby’s voice.

“Don’t laugh! This is serious. I’ve seen it go wrong”

“Sorry, sorry” Ellie said showing her palms up and smiling.

“Yes, I’ve done it before. It’s gonna hurt”

“Do it...Please” she added shortly.

“Ok, on three. One… two…” the sound of the bone shifting to its original position was closely followed by a scream.

Jesse came running down the stairs again.

“What the hell happened? Are you OK?”

“Yeah, sorry…”

“It was… me. I’m sorry” Abby managed to say as she grabbed her shoulder.

“How does it feel?” Ellie asked with concern.

“Better by the second. Thank you” she smiled at Ellie.

“Hello there…" Jesse said looking at them.

"My name’s Jesse and this is Ellie. And you are?”

“Abby” she said and looked from one to the other.

“Ok then. I’ll be upstairs. I’m almost done” he winked at Ellie and left.

Ellie grabbed a bandage from her bag and kneeled next to Abby.

“Ok. This won't be pleasant, but we need to do it. Ready?”

“Yes”

Ellie took her time and Abby stared at the fire.

“Done” she said after a very long and silent minute.

“You were very careful, thanks. Feels a lot better”

“No problem”

“How did I get here?” Abby asked looking around.

“Joel found you and brought you with him. You hit your head after the jump. Or at least that’s what I know”

Abby suddenly felt very cold, she frowned at this information and her heart started to race furiously.

“Is he coming back here?”

“Not today. He and Tommy are leading the infected away” Ellie noticed a strange look in her eyes.

“Were you alone back there?” she asked trying to sound casual.

“Yes. I had an argument with one of the people on my group and stayed behind. I slipped in the snow and fell down. After that I just remember running for my life”

“Been there… it’s exhausting. Knowing that they won’t stop when you can’t go on…” Ellie said and Abby nodded in agreement.

She couldn’t think of anything to say. She had finally found Joel. Well, he had found her first, and saved her…

Her head started to hurt and she put a cold hand in her forehead, retreating it with a wince as soon as she touched the bump. Ellie stood up and went to the other room, then reappeared with a glass of water.

“Thank you” Abby said as she took it from her hands.

The cool water was so refreshing...

She was lost in thought, thinking that right now she will enjoy the safety, the warmth and the good company. There was something in Ellie that made her feel comfortable. She looked at her and found her staring, and smiled when she turned to look for something in her bag, blushing.


	2. "It could be dangerous"

“Man… I thought I had something for the pain here…”

“Don’t worry, it’s not that bad”

They both looked at the stairs, where Jesse appeared and approached the fire.

“How are you feeling?” he asked Abby as he warmed his hands.

“I’m OK. Ellie did a good job”

“You were lucky, she’s one of the best dealing with injuries”

“Oh stop it, by the way, do you have any painkillers?” Ellie said still looking in her bag.

Jesse took a moment to consider, then snapped his fingers and ran upstairs again. Abby and Ellie looked at each other, they heard a curse and then something breaking.

“He’s known for being a little… impatient” Ellie said to Abby, who looked baffled.

Jesse came carrying something behind his back.

“You have to promise to _**NEVER**_ tell Dina about this”

“What do you have there?!” Ellie asked with a chuckle.

“ _ **PROMISE**_!” Jesse repeated.

“Alright, alright…”

He looked at Abby.

“I don’t even know who she is!”

“ _She_ ’ _s Jesse_ ’ _s girlfriend_ ”

“ _She_ ’ _s Ellie_ ’ _s girlfriend_ ”

Both Jesse and Ellie said in unison and then laughed.

“O…K… She sounds interesting”

“She was my girlfriend, but I think Ellie could replace me soon enough…” Jesse said raising an eyebrow.

“Oh shut up...” Ellie snorted.

“C’mon! I see how you look at each other, and she even told me something…” 

“What?! You’re nuts” the thought has crossed her mind, but she would never have the courage to act on it.

Abby changed position and grimaced.

“Sorry… OK. It’s not a painkiller _per se_.” Jesse said as he showed a huge joint in his hand.

“Holy shit, Jesse! You had that all this time!?” Ellie said as she stood up to take it from him.

“Well, it was a present and I was saving it… but if I’m being honest, I forgot about it”

“Don’t use it for me… I’m not really into that stuff. It could be dangerous...” Abby said looking a bit uncomfortable.

“If it helps, we are really safe. This post is famous for that, there's no way for the infected to get here. And also, it could really help with the pain” Ellie said as she sat next to her.

“Medicine for the body and mind!” Jesse added as he sat opposite them.

“I’m not sure…” Abby bit her lip.

“I really don’t think it’s too strong though. I mean, it’s been here for a while now, right?” the tone of disappointment in Jesse’s voice ended up convincing Abby. 

“Does weed go bad?” Ellie said and Jesse shrugged his shoulders. “Well… there´s only one way to find out” she lit it and smoked.

Jesse was wrong. The weed wasn’t spoiled at all, if anything, it was stronger, as they discovered on their second round.

“Alright… I think I can feel the… effect.” Abby said slowly, looking at her hands.

“Shit, Jesse. I owe you one…” Ellie said passing him the joint.

“Let’s thank Eugene” Jesse said as he smoked a huge amount that left him coughing. He passed it to Abby, who took it, smoked and examined it as she hold the smoke, then released it slowly.

“So… we can say that… we hit a Jackpot?” a laugh escaped from her lips and made her move his injured shoulder. “Damn, for a second I forgot about my bad shoulder” they all laughed at this.

“Hey! Jack.. Pot… I get it!” Ellie said taking the joint from Abby and started laughing out loud

“This one is a fan of puns” Jesse said as he tried to take the joint from Ellie, but she smoked before passing it.

“I was wondering why the ball was getting bigger…. And then it hit me? That sort of jokes?” Abby said and Ellie exploded in laughter.

“Don’t start or she’ll invade us with them!”

Abby suddenly felt really conflicted. She couldn’t stop thinking about Joel and how she will get to fulfill her revenge. But also it’s been a while since she had such a nice time. Her heart started to race furiously. These guys obviously cared for Joel and her only goal for years had been finding him and making him pay. 

“Hullo?” Jesse was moving his hand next to her.

“Sorry, I was lost in thought…” Abby said and refused the joint.

“I’ll pass, I think that’s enough for me…” she extended it to Ellie, who looked at Jesse raising an eyebrow.

“Should we put it out? I’m done too”.

“Sure. I’ll keep the rest here. You know, just in case”

Abby realized she would need to be extra careful. Right now there was nothing she could do about Joel, and it was most likely that she would end up in Jackson by tomorrow. There was no way to contact Owen and the rest… were they looking for her?

“OMG that was so good, thank you Abby” Ellie said as she leaned on the floor and put her arms behind her head.

“Why me?” Abby said looking at Ellie, who seemed extremely relaxed.

“No one has ever needed medical attention here before, and I’m not sure that Jesse would have remembered about that weed out of the blue” she laughed.

“Oi! Well… It’s true” Jesse said and laughed. 

“I have to admit that it really helped with the pain. Thanks” Abby said and closed her eyes.

Jesse stood up and went to the other room. He reappeared with a jar with water and a brown package.

“We’ll get hungry soon, better be ready” he said with a huge smile.

“Cool.” Ellie said as she stood up and poured some water in Abby’s glass, which was empty. She suddenly opened her eyes and they made eye contact. Ellie lost her balance and ended on the floor, the contents of the jar all over her.

“Way to go!” Jesse said clapping and laughing.

Abby laughed too, but stopped when her shoulder menaced to move.

“Oh man…”

“Hey Ellie... _Water_ you doing?” Abby said and put her hand over her shoulder to laugh more freely. Ellie burst out laughing again.

“I see that you speak the same language. Well… I better be off now. Good night!” Jesse said and took a piece of the sandwich. He waved goodbye with one hand and failed to conceal a yawn with the other.

“’night, Jesse. Thank you!” Ellie said as she wiped her eyes and sat on the floor. “I’m all wet. Did you get any water on you?”

“No, I’m ok”

“Good thing we have this fire” Ellie came closer to it and stared at the burning logs. She shook her head as old memories started to come back.

She took off her hoodie and put it close to the fire, touched her t-shirt and cursed low. She took it off too, careful to cover her chest. Abby looked away, she hadn’t noticed that she was staring. Her eyes caught a glimpse of Ellie’s back. She looked so skinny, maybe she could give her some advice… “ _What am I doing_?” she thought to herself…

“Who plays the guitar?” she said looking at one that was leaning against the wall and partly to change her train of thoughts. She unconsciously scratched her earlobe.

“Joel’s been teaching me a thing or two” Ellie said as she hastily put on her shirt. She touched the hoodie, which wasn’t ready yet, and held it to the fire.

Abby was silent. Hearing his name being mentioned with such respect made her blood boil. She hated it. She hated _**HIM**_. But she also noticed that she hated how he was such an important part of Ellie’s life. Did she know what he did? A pain in her forehead told her that she was frowning way too hard. She covered her face with her hands to hide her emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eugene had really mastered the art of curing :D


	3. “Holy shit...”

Ellie looked at Abby out of the corner of her eye, noticing how she covered her face with her hands. She could only imagine what she must have dealt with so far, one of her favorite part of meeting someone new was to listen to their stories, but too many times she wished she hadn’t. She grabbed a couple of pillows and turned.

“You must be exhausted. Can you come here? It’ll be much more comfortable”. Ellie said arranging the pillows in the couch.

Abby nodded and stood up, leaning against the wall. Her jacket fell from her shoulders and Ellie went to pick it up. She offered her support, but Abby didn’t take her hand. She was still deep in thought, the calming effect of the drug fading away and making her more alert than before.

“It’s ready, you’ll be warm and soft” Ellie grabbed a blanket and folded it in her arms.

Abby murmured a thank you and approached the couch looking at Ellie’s extended hand, which she accepted this time.

“Here…” Ellie couldn’t help but notice how brawny Abby was when she helped her lie down. She covered her with the blanket and Abby started looking around.

“Where are you going to sleep?”

“Over there” Ellie said pointing to an armchair in the corner.

“Nonsense. I can sleep sitting, unless you can’t” she said as she adjusted her position and started tucking herself.

“You shouldn’t force your shoulder”

“I know what I’m doing. This is nothing, really” Abby said finally abandoning her frown.

“Well, I think we can manage” Ellie said not too convinced.

“Good night” Abby said with a last look at her and then closed her eyes.

“Good night” Ellie answered, putting her hands around her arms. She sat on the other side of the couch and snuggle to keep the heat. She fall asleep as soon as she closed her eyes.

The sound of chattering woke Ellie up. She blinked and looked around, apparently she had moved during the night. Also, she was wrapped in Abby’s blanket.

“Sorry, we don’t have much here” Jesse said handing Abby a jug and a small sandwich.

“What are you saying? This is perfect” she said and finished it in two bites.

“And finally she joins the group” Jesse said to Abby’s back and she turned to see Ellie coming to the kitchen, rubbing her eyes.

“´morning. Can I have some water?” this time it was Abby who poured her a glass. She moved with confidence and definitely not like someone who had her shoulder out of her socket the night before.

“I’m gonna get the horses ready” Jesse said and walked out.

“So, are we far from Jackson?” Abby said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“Not so much, really. But we do need to pass around a kind of complicated area” Ellie said trying to sound casual.

“How complicated?” Abby’s fast mind was already preparing for a variety of scenarios, each worse than the last.

“Infected. There’s a spot that we’ve been cleaning for the longest time ever, but those fucking things just keep appearing” she said with frustration.

“And do you have a plan?”

“Yeah, we won’t be dealing with them if we see any. Right now, I just want to get to Jackson and see if Joel’s already there”

Abby’s hand stopped in mid-air with the glass she was re-filling.

“Something wrong?” Ellie said, squinting and trying to catch any indication of… what? She didn’t know.

But Abby just couldn’t form a coherent sentence. Joel’s name sounding loud in her ears. And then it happened probably the only thing that could have saved her from exposing her true objective. Her stomach made the loudest sound around.

Ellie was stunned, not sure whether to laugh or to act as if nothing happened. Abby saw an opportunity and she took it.

“Sorry, I’m used to a much bigger breakfast” she said with a hand on her stomach and smiling. She would need to get a grip on herself from now on.

Ellie relaxed and smiled back.

“You’ll be able to eat a lot more when we get there”

The environment wasn’t quite the same when they left the kitchen and went outside, where Jesse was finishing with his horse.

“This blizzard doesn’t seem to be stopping anytime soon. You know what that means, right?” he said looking to the sky.

“Yeah… extra careful” Ellie said rolling her eyes.

“This isn’t something to take lightly, Ellie. Besides, it won’t be just you on the horse, so no more daredevil stuff” he said checking on all of the gear he was securing to his horse.

“I wouldn’t!” she replied feeling offended. Abby looked a bit absentminded.

“I’ll go ahead, scouting. Follow my lead, k? **_Follow_** ” Jesse said pointing a finger at Ellie, who shook her head and sighed.

“Of course, Jesse, stop it and go. I’m getting cold” 

He waited until Abby was safely sit behind Ellie to mount his horse and then rode away. The blizzard was making it difficult to see ahead.

They had ridden for about five minutes when they stopped. The sound of a big metallic gate made Abby looked around. The road was cut off and the metallic gate was used as a bridge. Once they were on the other side, Ellie got off of the horse and disappeared behind a booth. The gate returned to its place and Abby could see Ellie on the other side, she grabbed a lose cable, swayed a couple of times and landed smoothly on the other side.

“Alright, scoot” she said to Abby as she grabbed the reins, mounted and rode away, following the path ahead.

Abby fastened her grip on Ellie’s waist. She had underestimated her. She noticed how firm and alert was her body posture, even on the horse. And because she was embracing her so close she could notice how her muscles tightened as she turned to look to the right side. Abby leaned a little and could barely catch how Jesse had signaled towards that spot.

“Hold on tight!” she heard Ellie yelled over the wind. She immediately did as she was told and closed her eyes as the horse increased its speed. Her heart started racing fast when she saw a large group of clickers following them, already disappearing in the distance.

“Fuck!” the horse jerked to one side and they almost fall. Any other person would have lost control, Abby thought when she spotted a huge bloater halfway buried in the snow, its arms still trying to reach the sound that had awakened it.

After what felt like an eternity, she felt a hand on top of her own. Ellie’s grip was tight and she appreciated it. They had arrived to the top of a hill, or at least that’s what Abby thought. Jesse was looking ahead when they got next to him. 

“Holy shit...” Ellie said once they were together looking down.

Over 50 infected were roaming around in the path ahead. Clickers, runners, and a couple of bloaters. They were still idle, but the sight wasn’t less terrifying because of that.

“Now what?” Ellie asked Jesse. “Should we try the fast route?”

“I don’t think so” Jesse said pointing to another group of infected Ellie hadn’t seen.

“Shit”

“I think we´ll need to split”

“No way!”

“Way. I´ll distract them so you can pass through”

“But… surely we can…”

“We can’t stay here long. The infected we left behind may be on their way by now”

“Maybe there’s something I can do” Abby said behind Ellie.

“Oh?”

“Could you pass me my bag?” Abby said to Jesse, who took it and pass it to her.

Abby rummaged for a bit until she found what she was looking for.

“Yes! Owen won’t be too happy about this, but it’s for a good cause” she said showing a couple of flares in her hand.

“That’s… awesome” Jesse said taking them with a childish look in his eyes.

“Alright. I’ll go ahead and distract them, then we get the hell out of here. Wait for my signal”.

Both girls nodded and adrenaline started to kick in again. 

“Who’s Owen?” Ellie asked turning her head to Abby while they waited for Jesse´s signal.

“A friend” she answered, not really wanting to share more. It felt weird to think about Owen and the rest right now.

Jesse whistled and off they were, the horrifying screams all around them as the horses rode faster than ever, crossing the somewhat empty field that looked nothing but menacing.

Infected were all around, no longer distracted by the flares and now focusing on the running horses and their riders.

A bloater appeared from behind an old bus and Ellie turned just in time to avoid it, then they heard how he threw a bomb of spores towards them, but luckily they were faster.

When they were at a safe distance Ellie’s shoulder relaxed and so did Abby, who felt a pain traveling from her shoulder to her leg.

“Almost there” Ellie said to her, pointing ahead.

Abby could see a huge metal gate, growing bigger as they approached it.

“ _This is it_ ” she thought, trying to calm herself as she went over the different plans in her head. Now that Joel had a face, she could see him more clearly and her hatred did nothing but grew. Ellie’s face also crossed her mind, but she wasn’t going to dwell on that for now.


	4. "Not. One. Bit."

Ellie tightened the grip on the reins as they got near the gate. Seeing all of those infected so near Jackson had left her on edge. If Joel and Tommy deviated the infected, why was it full of them? Where were they coming from?

“Ellie and Jesse!” she looked up at the yell, the gates were opening in front of them, revealing Jackson and its safety.

Abby was looking at everything around them as they passed.

“The road here was full of infected” Jesse said as he got off his horse and passed the reins to a man that was waiting next to him.

“We saw a huge horde moving in the distance, near your post. Did anything happen?” the blonde woman named Maria asked as she approached them.

“Joel and Tommy went to deal with that last night. Are they back?” Ellie asked looking around as she also got off her horse. Maria frowned and denied with her head, the hand Ellie was offering Abby suddenly lost its strength, but she immediately recovered and helped her dismount.

“How are you feeling? I felt your arm tensing back there, not a good thing for that injury. Let’s go check it, shall we?” Ellie said in a voice that sounded too focused to be natural.

“You don’t have to. I know you’re worried for this Joel guy” Abby said trying to ignore how casual that name sounded in her lips. And hating it.

“He’s fine. He’s always fine” Ellie said not too convincing, and Abby nodded and followed.

Jackson was huge. Abby compared it to her own community and how they were almost as well equipped as them. She noticed that people greeted Jesse a lot, but didn’t do the same with Ellie, who showed no signed of being upset by this.

“Hi Ellie!” a girl came to them in a hurry. “I was looking for you…” she stopped when she noticed Abby next to Ellie and looked at her from head to toe. Abby frowned at her.

“Dina, this is Abby” the girls nodded at each other and Ellie failed to notice the spontaneous tension between them.

“Nice to meet you. How…” Dina started to ask but Ellie interrupted.

“Joel found her running from a horde. D’you know where Beth is?”

“Beth? Yeah… I think she’s near the stables. Why?” 

“We need her help, Abby dislocated her shoulder”

“I see, maybe I can join you?”

“Sure” Ellie said looking straight ahead, her mind not fully concentrated, as always when Joel was missing.

He had done this a couple of times before, and once he even disappeared for three whole days because he was chasing a deer and fell from a considerable height. Of course, he managed to get back home with new scars in his arms and legs.

She hadn’t notice how quiet Abby and Dina were until she was the one who spoke again.

“So, any news around here?” Ellie asked Dina, who was walking on her left.

“Not much. Darryl finally learned how to cook that weird vegetable we found the other day” she laughed and looked at Ellie, who just snorted and stopped as they reached the stable.

She started looking for Beth and Abby noticed an old man playing the banjo next to them. She kneeled to pet a dog who looked as old as his master.

“Hey there, pretty boy” the dog was playful, but got tired soon.

Ellie turned just in time to see this interaction and smiled at the scene. Dina didn’t like how she was feeling right now.

“Ellie, can I talk to you… er… alone?” she said and felt guilty when her smile faded away.

“Sure, but can we get to Beth first?”

“´course”

Abby followed them looking at everything. There were so many people working together. Together against the infected. The infected… her father would have been able to end all of this, if it weren’t for Joel… She only noticed how angry she was when her fingernails started to hurt her palms. Nothing will get between her and her revenge, not even a new friend or this community of survivors.

She sighed and tried to calm down, deciding that she would follow Ellie’s footsteps from now on, since she was probably the only other person as interested in Joel’s whereabouts as her.

They found Beth in the stables with a couple of boys helping her with a horse that now had a bandage in one of its legs. 

“Beth! Everything ok?” Ellie asked the girl. She looked a little older than her.

“Yes. Callus the Second is really strong, right boy?” she said as she scratched his ears.

“We were looking for you, do you have some time now?” Ellie said also scratching the horse’s ears.

“Sure, what do you need?” she washed her hands in a container with water that looked very clean.

“This is Abby, she dislocated her shoulder yesterday. Can you do that thing you do?” Ellie said and Abby looked at the girl with curiosity.

“Sure, no problem. Come along” she said drying her hands and going to a cabin nearby.

“Abby, can you seat here, please?” she said and Abby complied in silence.

“I’ll be outside with Dina, k?” Ellie said and left the place.

Abby let Beth examine her arm, she looked calmed, but she was restless inside. Joel could arrive any minute now. What would she do? She can’t confront him here, where he is an active part of the community. Her only plan so far was to wait and maybe try finding Owen and the others. The infected would be a problem though…

“Does this hurt?” Beth said massaging Abby’s shoulder with experienced hands. 

“Not really. Feels good” and it was true, the pain dissipating by the second.

“Can you move your shoulder like this?” she said while she showed a circular movement.

Abby tried and winced at the end.

“Ok, I thought so. Give me a second” Beth said as she massaged a different point, always in an ascending direction. It felt so good that for a second, Abby forgot where she was and why. She just closed her eyes and appreciated the relief in her muscle.

“Now, can you do it again please?”

This time Abby was truly amazed, the pain was already gone.

“This is awesome! I thought it was gonna last longer”

“Well, I can only assume that it was Ellie who accommodated it for you. She did a perfect job”

“She did, right? Thank you Beth. I owe you”

“It’s nothing, just tell Ellie that I would like to hear my song when she has the time” she said smiling and left Abby sitting there, admiring the smooth motion of her shoulders.

She stood up and went outside to look for Ellie, but she wasn’t there. Nervous and anxious, she looked around, and only turned to the sound of voices that could be heard from the other side of the stable. She walked and stopped dead, not wanting to interrupt or being caught eavesdropping.

“ _You don’t know that_ ” Dina said looking at Ellie, who clearly was not as engaged in the conversation as Dina.

“I’m telling you. I don’t need to ask for permission.”

“You do if you want to use Shimmer”

“I can walk”

“Don’t be stupid”

“Dina, I’ve never seen so many infected near Jackson. Have you?”

“No, of course not. Maria is organizing scouting groups to deviate them from getting here, but I’m not sure…”

“Perfect. I’ll join them”

“But you just arrived”

“So? Joel could be in trouble”

“I guess that nothing will change your mind…”

“Sorry”

“It’s OK. I understand, you two are like that eh? Always together, always worried about each other. Except for that time…”

“Don’t remind me”

“What happened between you two? You’ve never told me…”

“That doesn’t matter right now. It’s in the past”

“Yeah, I know, but it was a huge fight. We even had a bet to guess what he did to make you so angry and violent” Dina said laughing, but Ellie wasn’t in the mood and just looked at the gate. Abby frowned a this information and hoped to remember it in the future.

“Ok… I see that there’s no point in trying to convince you. Can I at least go with you?”

“I guess so, we need to tell Maria”

“ _Perfect_ ” Abby thought and started to put a quick plan together. If Ellie was going out to seek for Joel, she would make sure to be with her. She walked towards the girls.

“Hi there, how’s the shoulder now?” Ellie said to Abby with a smile on her face.

“I just can’t believe this, it’s as if nothing happened” Abby said really impressed.

“Beth is good. Don’t force it too much, though. Treat it with respect for a while”

“I will. Thanks”

“We’re going to talk to Maria, if you’re hungry you can come with us and I’ll show you where the kitchen is”

“That would be good. What about you? I didn’t see you eating in the morning”

“I’m not hungry” Ellie said looking away and Abby frowned.

“She doesn’t eat if Joel’s missing” Dina said with a smirk, Ellie ignored the comment, but Abby didn’t.

“You helped me, I help you” Abby said to Ellie with a crooked smile and raising an eyebrow.

“What do you mean?” Ellie asked

“Whatever it is you’re planning to do, an empty stomach could mess it up. Besides, I don’t want to be alone” she answered as she stroke her arm, trying to look innocent. A big part of her regretting abusing Ellie’s inclinations, but that could really mark the difference between accomplishing her objective or not.

Ellie looked baffled and ended up agreeing with a plain “OK”. Dina looked from Ellie to Abby and dropped her arms in surrender.

“Let’s go then” she said interrupting the eye contact between Ellie and Abby. She didn’t like this girl. Not. One. Bit.


	5. “I’m going with you”

Abby took off her jacket as they were entering the kitchen facility, and immediately regretted it. She knew that her body structure didn’t go unnoticed, and Dina’s comment didn’t make things better.

“Woah!” she said looking at Abby’s well shaped arms.

Abby frowned and started to put her jacket on, but Ellie’s hand on her arm stopped her.

“Don’t. Dina, don’t be an ass” she said to her with a friendly pat on the head.

“I’m not! I mean, it’s impressive, you must have worked a lot” Dina said with honesty.

“Yeah, a bit. You just gotta have some motivation, you know?”

There was a short line and sooner than later they were out again, stomachs almost full with what Ellie described as “one of the best meals in a while”.

“Food was exceptionally good today. You’re lucky Abby” Dina said as they were walking out, people’s eyes following the blonde and unknown girl.

“Maria must be near the gates, we should…”

**_BOOM!_ **

A huge explosion was heard from afar, followed by a second one, equally loud. Ellie’s heart started racing fast, every fiber of her body tensed. Abby was in a similar state.

“Let’s go, now…” Dina said pushing both girls towards the gate, where a crowd was starting to gather.

“What was that?” “Are we safe?” “Where’s Maria?” people were all asking at the same time.

“There!” Ellie said to the other girls pointing to the farthest end and hastily approaching Maria, who was surrounded by a small group of people.

“Maria” Ellie said, feeling her heart beating in her throat.

“Ellie…” she looked at her and then revealed a table behind her, a map with red marks was lying on top of it.

“One of the two scouting groups returned with some intel. The other one is missing” silence followed this last part. Maria cleared her throat and continued “These are groups of over 20 infected, this mark over here is over 50, and this…” she said pointing to a big mark, “is over 100”. 

Silence again. The wind decided to make a dramatic appearance in the form a small whirlwind that crossed their feet.

“We believe Joel and Tommy must be around these two spots” she put her finger somewhere between the biggest mark and the one of over 20.

“Those explosions…” Abby interrupted, so eager to participate that she didn’t care talking in front of these people.

“You’re Abby, right?” Maria said straight to her.

“Yes, sorry. I’m just worried” she said trying to look convincing.

“Well, yeah. The explosions seemed to be coming from the same location” she said and bit her thumb, looking worried.

“Maria…” Ellie took her hands and Maria hugged her instead. First, surprised, then concerned, Ellie returned the hug. She’d never seen Maria lost her temper.

“They didn’t have any bomb that could do that, Ellie, I’m worried they ran into some Hunters…” Ellie suddenly felt as if a glass of cold water was thrown over her head.

“I’ve seen Joel crafting bombs with supplies we found on the way” she said equally low, trying to calm Maria, _and herself_.

“I know… but… OK. Let’s do this!” she said clapping once and hard, making everyone look up and alert.

“Considering the big picture, we can’t leave Jackson with a low crew, so this will be challenging… as in, it will be only you out there. Are you ok with that?” she said to the ten people around her. They looked at each other and it was Ellie and Abby who answered first, shortly followed by Dina.

“Yeah, let’s do it”

“Ok. You’ll ride in pairs. Two pairs per group. The last pair will be behind and ready to get back here in case there’s infected coming our way. We don’t know if the explosion made them reunite together forming a huge horde, or if they are still in separated groups” 

They all nodded and started checking their gears, while Maria finished setting the routes. The sound of guns being checked and reloaded, alcohol being safely stored and straps being tightened marked the beginning of their journey.

“OK, Jesse and Dina will be the pair on the back” Dina was about to protest, but Jesse grabbed her arm and gave her a serious look.

“Willy and Robin will be group A, along with Esther and Chad. Abby and Ellie on group B with Darryl and Josh”.

Maria handed over pieces of paper with their respective routes on them.

“Godspeed” she said to the departing groups. “Ellie…” she said only to her. “Bring them back”.

Ellie nodded in silence, trying not to think about an outcome different to that one. She noticed Abby looking and walked towards her, rubbing her right arm.

“Looks dangerous, are you sure you wanna come with us?”

“I’m going with you” she said staring at Ellie with fire in her eyes and Ellie couldn’t help but feel thankful, and hopeful.

“Open it up!” Jesse yelled to the guys who were by the huge door. “Alright. You all know what to do. If you run into anything you can’t handle, you come back. Be smart about it”.

They left Jackson behind and started to explore the previously safe territory, which now looked like a totally new place. The horses seemed to be in the same spirit, the sound of their hooves muffled by the snow and mud. Abby took out her map and realized that soon they were going to hit the first spot marked. She noticed Ellie looking at her, so she showed her the map and the mark on it. Ellie nodded and signaled to the others.

As expected, a small group of infected could be seen nearby. They were slow, some of them only crawling, and all of them going towards the same direction.

“They’re following the source of the explosion” Abby said and pointed to the column of smoke that could be seen ahead. 

“We should take care of them. They look easy enough” Ellie said and Abby answered by taking out her shiv with a crooked smile.

They all dismounted and prepared their gear.

“We’ll leave the horses with you” Ellie said to Dina.

“Please, be careful” Dina said to Ellie while she tucked a loose hair behind her ear.

“Yeah, thanks” Ellie said with a shy voice.

“So… are we going to deal with these fuckers?” Darryl said checking his shotgun.

“They look slow, but we don’t know if there are others hidden or nearby that could make things difficult. Let’s be careful, k?” Ellie said to them and with a last look to Dina, she went straight to the first one, a clicker that had one of its legs parted in two. The shiv entered softly in its head.

One by one they fell and Ellie saw how Darryl and Josh went to a house on the right. She and Abby checked the house on the left and saw that the guys from group A were doing the same a little ahead.

“Ok, wait here” Ellie said as she went around it for a fast check.

She crouched next the closed door and listened intently, no sound came from the inside. She motioned Abby to enter from the other side. They found a couple of bullets in a drawer and a bandage, and left the place after a couple of minutes. They went to check the next one, and then the next one, until they finally regrouped with the others and mounted the horses one more time.

“We should find more infected soon enough. Eyes on the road, people” Jesse said looking around them.

The road looked solitary, making it even scarier. The sound of a large group of infected reached them and they tightened the grip on the horses, feeling the adrenaline rising. Seconds felt like hours, every step sounded extremely loud in their ears and sweat was starting to travel down their faces.

The closer they got, the faster their hearts beated. It was a long ride and not because of the distance. 

When they turned around the corner, they discovered that the groups of infected weren’t divided anymore. Following the sound of the explosions, they had formed a huge horde and almost half of it had been shot to death, or died in the explosion.

“Have you ever seen so many of them together?" Dina said to Ellie in a hushed voice.

“Not like this”

“Apparently that’s were one of the bombs exploded” Abby said pointing to the big hole in the center of the street were infected have fallen in, some of them crawling to get free.

“What now?”

Ellie looked up and noticed that they could use a board to cross from one roof to the other.

“I’ll go check the other side, in case there’s something we’re not seeing” Ellie said in a whisper.

“I’ll go with you” Abby’s voice sounded right next to her.

She nodded at her and went to the back of the house, where she had spotted a wooden plank that could help them.

Abby and Ellie were on the rooftop fixing the wooden plank to connect their roof with one opposite. Dina and Darryl were a little behind, nervously watching this action.

“Watch your step as you’re going up ’cause it’s going to be a little… lose” Ellie said when she finished fixing the plank, and she had a quick flashback of a similar scene with Joel.

“Psh!” Abby said as she walked past Ellie stepping on the plank without hesitation.

She looked decisive and brave, but Ellie didn't know that she was struggling inside to look that confident. Hights were not her thing.

The view was dramatic. Blood and body parts were forming a mass in the hole that from this height clearly looked like the remnants of one of the explosions they heard.

“We’ll need to get down there, look” Abby said close to Ellie, who followed her eyes and found what she was showing her.

There was a backpack that looked out of place among the infected. It wasn’t a good plan, but it was something, maybe it was Tommy’s, or maybe it belonged to one of the people from the scouting group.

“Joel…” Ellie said looking at the huge amount of infected and biting her lip.

Abby started to ponder the possibility of knocking her out if they find him first. She would kill him, and then… and then… Would she carry Ellie back to Jackson after killing Joel? She definitely couldn’t leave her there, whatever _there_ was. Ellie didn't deserved that, and she would never forgive her. But then again, Abby wasn’t looking for friends or family, she just wanted revenge.

“ _Are you sure?”_ a voice inside of her kept repeating.

She frowned and concentrated on her dark desire of avenging her father’s death. She needed it, she had prepared for this for too long. She only hoped to catch him before the infected or other people.

And she didn’t even want to think about Owen and the rest. She had already joined the dots, the horde and the explosions were on the same route she had taken when Joel found her the night before. And she also knew… that they didn’t have anything on them that could do this kind of damage.

“We can do this” Ellie said more to herself than to any other.

“Yes, we can”

Something in Abby made Ellie feel confident and safe. She looked strong, and not just physically. She was decisive.

They reached the others with high spirits, both of them wanting to find Joel alive, no matter the cost.


	6. "I don’t believe in luck"

“So? What did you see?” Dina asked Ellie as soon as she was next to her.

“The hole left by the detonation looks like a mortar… Jesse, you know what that means, right?”

“Hunters” Jesse said clenching his fist and looking at the column of smoke that was starting to fade.

“There’s a backpack that I want to check”

“We” Abby corrected Ellie, and Dina raised an eyebrow.

“Well, tell us then, it sounds like there’s more to it…” Darryl pressed Ellie.

“There’s a lot of infected. Most of them seemed to be on their way, maybe we’ll find a trail, so good news, right?” Ellie finished and looked around.

“Sure. Anything that can help us”

“How many infected?” Josh said checking his ammo.

“A lot. We’ll need to distract them and maybe attack from opposite ends…”

“Let’s sweep them fuckers!” Darryl said preparing his shotgun, always too eager to engage in full force.

“That’s a good attitude, but let’s be…”

“… smart about it” both Ellie and Dina interrupted him.

“This is serious, girls” he said reproaching them.

“Yeah, we know… let us lift the spirits a bit, don’t be a killjoy” Dina said dismissively.

“Ok. We have one last resource in case we see that there are too many to handle”

“If we use this, anyone on the other side will have a hard time getting back, so we have to make sure to do it when you are all safe. Be silent, be fast, and be careful” he said, pointing to a car that was one push away to get stuck between two buses.

He had to stay behind with Dina, ready to ride back if necessary, and as leader of the patrol group he felt a bit frutrated by that. But their job would be equally important.

“Ellie… wait” Dina said and moved a bit away from the group. Ellie followed her, a bit nervous.

“Gimme your hand” she said as she took Ellie’s right arm.

“It’s for good luck” she added.

Ellie looked at Dina’s bracelet in her own wrist.

“I don’t believe in luck”

“I do”

Dina said and moved towards Ellie with her heart beating fast. If she doesn’t kiss her right now, she’ll regret it. The scream of a bloater made them jump and the moment was gone… " _again_ ", Dina thought.

The rest of the team was ready to go and Ellie hugged Dina and joined them.

“Ready?” Abby said to her as soon as she was at her side.

“I am” Ellie said while she played with her new bracelet.

Dina noticed this and a smile crossed her face. Ellie blushed when her eyes met.

Abby looked from Ellie to Dina, and for a second she thought of Owen… and Mel. Hoping they were OK, and far away. If something happens to them, she would be the one to blame. They were in the open because of her and her revenge. But she hadn’t forced them.

With that thought in mind, she prepared for another round with the infected, eager to get to Joel as soon as possible.

“Alright. The backpack was close to a semi demolished wall. I counted around 20 infected near it” Ellie said to the rest of the group as they were getting ready to face death.

“Divide and conquer” Darryl said with his smile and crouched to the left, with an empty bottle in his hands. The rest did the same, some with bottles, others with bricks.

Abby took care of a runner that was looking the other way. She was extremely fast.

“ _Smooth_ ” Ellie thought, dealing with a clicker that was walking towards Abby.

They finished off two clickers at the same time and the sound of a bottle breaking made them turn fast, hell got loose in two seconds.

Screams filled the air as creatures started to appear from between the trees and chased them around. Clickers were running towards the sounds, trying to scratch and grab anything in their path.

“Getoff!” Josh yelled fighting an infected that had him pinned to the ground. A bullet crossed its head and it fell motionless, Esther's shot had hit its target.

Darryl’s shotgun was heard next and Ellie looked at him as she took off her shiv from the head of an infected.

“Darryl! NO!”

There wasn’t time to get to him, infected were all around now and they were a lot more than she thought. The last thing she saw of Darryl was his fist hitting a clicker straight in the face, then he disappeared under a pile of the vicious creatures.

Ellie turned just in time to see Abby running towards the backpack. She grabbed it and a clicker approached her with its arms frantically scratching the air.

“Fuck you!” she screamed as she crushed its skull against the wall, empty handed.

Tears mixed with blood in Ellie’s face when she heard more screams behind her. She buried an axe into an infected and she couldn’t get it out, she was pulling hard and just when she made it, the force of the axe leaving the bones threw her backwards.

“No time to rest, Ellie!” Abby grabbed an infected that was about to get her.

She lifted it and threw it towards two others that were near.

“We need to go… NOW!” Abby’s voice made Ellie stood up in record time.

“We won’t be able to turn back now…” she said to Ellie as they shot the infected that were chasing them.

Ellie looked back and saw how the bloater grabbed Esther’s leg. It was madness. There were too many to count and even though they had defeated a bunch, they were still coming.

Abby was right, the only logical way now was to move forward. She noticed that they were the only ones following the path again, corpses were on each side, some of them shot, and others destroyed.

After a couple of minutes the screams of the rest of the group were muffled by the horrible shrieks of the infected. The path seemed to be going uphill. There were spots of blood here and there, fresh blood. And then they heard the metallic sound of the car being pushed and stucked.

The last resource, meaning that the road back was now blocked and soon this whole hill will be filled with creatures.

Ellie felt her hands tired from killing when she rubbbed her face to clean some of the blood and mud. She saw that Abby had tied the backpack to her own and didn’t seem to have any problems with the extra weight.

“Almost there, look!” Abby said to her, pointing at a couple of trees that seemed to mark the end of the road.

There were some infected still trying to catch the source of all of this commotion, and they were quickly eliminated by the two girls. It started to rain and they both looked up, trying to feel some relief and freshness in the raindrops.

Squinting her eyes, Ellie saw two spots that could be Jesse and Dina starting to retreat.

“There aren’t too many going back” she said looking through the sight on her rifle at the departing horses, a few infected chasing them.

“We can’t stay here too long” Abby said looking back, sooner than later the creatures will find their way.

“What’s that?” Ellie said walking past Abby and immediately stepping backwards and crushing into her.

“What the…” Abby felt sick.

“ _ **MANNY**_!”

She kneeled next to a young man that had a huge cut in the right side of his face. His legs were in a strange position, and if it wasn’t for his eyes, Ellie would have thought he was dead.

“ _A…Abby…_ ” blood gushed from his left arm, or what was left of it.

“What… how…”

“ _i…it w…. it was… hmmm…_ ” Manny was having a lot of trouble to talk with so much blood on his mouth.

“Oh Manny…” Abby grabbed his hand so gently that Ellie thought it could have been made of glass.

“ _O… Owen…_ ” Manny got to say, at the same time that a runner found its way up and spotted them. Abby couldn’t speak and saw Ellie going after the creatures.

“ _M… Mel…_ ” he added.

“Where did they go?” Abby asked soft but clear, her lips trembling.

“ _ca… cabin…_ ” Manny tried as hard as he could to point to his right, where a path could be seen surrounding the hill.

Footsteps and more blood spots. Abby stomach churned as she took out her gun behind her back.

“We need to go…” Ellie said shooting an arrow to the runner, and already preparing her gun.

Abby was still kneeled next to Manny.

“Ab…” but she didn’t get to finish saying her name, Abby had shot Manny in the head.

The screams and yells were a horrible announcement of what looked like a never-ending flow of infected.

“Abby!” Ellie said and all she got in response was Abby’s hand reaching hers and pulling towards the path on the right Manny was signaling.

She noticed the blood spots and felt sick, her grip on Abby’s hand intensified, and she felt a strong grip in return. Dina’s bracelet was bloodstained.

“Don’t look down, don’t look down…” Abby kept repeating to herself, trying to keep her mind set on the road ahead, instead of what she thought was an abyss to her right.

She felt Ellie’s hand pressing and that made her feel calm in a way. She pressed back.

Infected started to go over the edge and collapsing down below, forming a huge mass of dead meat and bones at the bottom. It was lucky the girls couldn’t see it. Nor they could see the monstrosity that was forming among those dead bodies. Right now, they needed to go as fast as they could, and not fall.


	7. “An excellent partner”

“Abby...”

……

Abby hadn’t said a word since she shot Manny. They were following the path down the hill, infected were still falling above them and the sounds of bones crushing was chilling. They were almost half way down now, and the trail was getting so narrow and with turns so sharp that every creature that had tried following them had fell.

Ellie dared to look down and she could see some of them still moving.

“That won’t be pretty” she thought and suddenly the grip on her hand felt different until she felt it free.

Abby had slowed down and was leaning against the stony wall. Ellie looked at her, not wanting to disturb.

They were relatively safe, and it felt so weird to feel safe in a place like that. Infected were making their horrible sounds around, but they had no chance of reaching them. With that thought in mind, Abby let herself go and hit the ground, knees first.

She allowed herself to shed some tears for her friend, then she looked at Ellie and noticed how worried she seemed. She knew why, of course. Joel…

She frowned when she started to think about the events that had led her right where she was standing (or kneeling) right now, and she buried her hands into the snow. They were sticky with Manny’s blood.

She’d convinced her group of friends to go with her and check a place that could have a sign of Joel. Her obsession had finally come to fruition... and now Manny was dead. And Owen and Mel were who knows where. She felt defeated, but angry at the same time. So angry.

Ellie couldn’t stop thinking about Joel and his whereabouts, she took the bag from Abby and started checking it. It wasn’t Tommy’s, but apparently it belonged to someone from Jackson, judging by its contents.

“We could use these…” she said timidly to Abby while she was holding the backpack open.

There were bandages and all the necessary elements to prepare a couple of Molotov cocktails.

Abby didn’t answer. Instead, she leaned her forehead on the hand she had against the hard rock that served as a wall. Ellie bit her lip, not sure how to proceed, and then she just followed her heart.

She took Abby’s free hand with both of hers and pressed it hard. She heard a small sob in response, and then she felt Abby’s eyes on her.

“Do… do you need anything?” Ellie said suddenly feeling shy and letting her go.

“I’m ok… Thank you” Abby added at the end, with the smallest of smiles.

“We’ll need to be careful now, I think I’m out of ammo” Ellie said checking her guns.

“Careful not only of these monsters, look…” Abby signaled at the footprints that could still be seen marked in the soft snow. 

“There may be six or eight… but I can be wrong” she continued checking the footprints and Ellie looked at them closely, not sure how to count them.

“Those bastards… Let’s go” Abby said looking ahead and unconsciously holding out her hand for Ellie, who was checking her ammo and didn’t see how Abby turned to look at her empty hand, frowned and shook her head.

“Ok, I’m ready” Ellie said finally putting her guns away, not at all happy with the contents.

The path (and the footprints) ended before they had to turn again around the hill. There was a big plank that linked their end of the hill with the roof of a small building. They were entering an area that Maria had marked as “dangerous” in their maps.

Ellie was the first to walk throught it and she noticed some blood on the roof. It was a red patch that reminded her of the most horrible scenes from her journey with Joel a couple of years ago.

“Not good” Abby said next to her and patted her to continue.

They moved from one roof to another, no infected could be seen around, and they didn’t even want to think about all of the creatures that were behind the concrete wall they had passed. After they jumped to the last roof, they noticed that the footprints ended abruptly.

Ellie looked around and walked towards something on the ground. She returned with a rope.

“This will do, I think” she said looking at the old rope.

“I’ll hold it for you” Abby said as she took it and wrapped it around her right arm.

“I’ll find something for you to climb down” Ellie said looking at her, quickly preparing herself to descend.

Abby helped her down and she landed swiftly on the ground. She looked around and found a trash container that could be pushed. Soon enough Abby was standing next to her, both of them looking at something that made them feel devastated.

“They’re gone…” Ellie said as they looked at the tire marks on the ground. 

“I’m going, you can go back and help your friends” Abby said looking straight ahead, towards the road that the vehicle took.

“I’m going with you” Ellie said with her eyes fixed on hers.

“Joel could be around too, and I can’t go back” Abby suddenly had the impression that Ellie was justifying her company.

“OK, I admit that you’ve been nothing but an excellent partner so far. Let’s see where this roads takes us then” she said tightening her braid.

“Maybe we can check for ammo along the way” Ellie said feeling enthusiastic for a change.

She was sure that Joel was OK. He always knew how to find a solution, and she would find him and show him that now she was just as good as he was.

“ _Maybe even better_ ” she thought to herself, smiling at the thought.

But her smile faded away in a second when she looked at Abby and noticed how serious she was. She thought of Jesse and imagined how she would feel if she had to kill him like that, the idea was so horrible that she shook her head and tried to think of something else.

“Let’s try that first” Abby said pointing to a store with broken windows.

“Don’t let your guard down” she added.

“I won’t. Listen, this area has been excluded from our patrols. Last time a group was around here, only one of the five returned and he couldn’t speak, nor tell us exactly what happened. He killed himself the next day he returned and we never knew why. Jesse has tried to come here for a while, but Maria doesn’t want to risk any more people, or horses”

“I see. More reason to be extra careful then. Let’s go”

And with that they started walking towards one of the broken windows. There was something black in the street and when they walked next to it, they could see the remnants of a human body that had been burned to the ground. Apparently someone had cut both of its legs and arms. It wasn’t a pretty sight and Ellie was glad to leave that behind. Abby closed her eyes at her own dark memories. She had done some terrible things for Isaac, but not anymore. There was no turning back now.

The store was dark, but light came through the windows, and soon their eyes got used to the dark.

“Yes!” Abby heard Ellie said behind her and went to look.

“What’s that?” she said at the blue card Ellie had in her hand.

“It’s something stupid, really. I have some of these cards, but not this one” she said shrugging her shoulders and Abby finally smiled again.

She took out a couple of coins from the only pocket with zipper in her pants and showed them to Ellie.

“Woah! Coins?” she said taking one from Abby’s palm.

“My dad…” was all she got to say before getting emotional.

“These are beautiful” Ellie said holding them to the light, truly amazed, and Abby couldn’t help but feel happy.

This was it, it was Ellie’s reactions that made her feel like that. She’d never known someone like her, so honest, so childish, and so… true. She frowned at the thought of her friends again, what was she to them? Only an obsessed girl that couldn’t even enjoy love because of her revenge. But they were true, and loyal.

And now they were in danger who knows where. ~~She~~ **THEY** will find them. With another look at Ellie, she accommodated her backpack and started walking towards the next building. 


	8. “The girl”

The road was deserted, except for a couple of small animals that made muffled sounds when they saw them. They didn’t want to think about the constant and distant noise the infected were making when falling from the hill behind them, and for now they were relieved that they were in a sort of safe place.

Except, there was nothing safe here.

“I don’t know where this leads… you?” Abby said following the trail with her eyes.

“I think so, but it’s been a while since the last time I was here with Joel” Ellie said and bit her lip again, remembering when Joel was her only companion.

He’s been more than a guardian, he’s been like a father. And she knew. She knew that her words had hurt him when they had that argument. She knew that he meant well, but then again, what he did….

She was so lost in thought that hadn't realized that Abby was walking side by side, with same rhythm, the same focus, but a completely different motivation.

“Let’s check that truck” Abby said walking towards it and taking Ellie out of her reveries.

“Sure”

“Where did you come from?” Ellie asked Abby after a few moments of silence.

“North. I was part of a community, but there was something I needed to do and well, one thing led to another and here I am” Abby said not really looking at Ellie.

“North. We are heading North now, how far was that community of yours?”

“Oh… they are far, trust me” Abby said trying not to think about Ellie there, but the idea had crossed her mind for a second and…

An arrow flew right next to Abby’s head, and the next one landed deeply into Ellie’s arm.

“Shit… shit!” Ellie said looking around, trying to find the source of the attack and grabbing her arm.

She grunted as low as she could as she removed the arrow that was impaled in her skin, blood started to flow from the wound. Before any of the girls could talk, they heard a yell and then footsteps that were getting closer by the second.

“Ready?” Abby whispered to Ellie.

“Yeah, let’s do this” she said fiercely and tightened the grip on her blade.

Abby grabbed the man that was walking towards them and used him as a shield, two arrows pierced his chest and a woman with a rifle was pointing straight to Abby’s forehead, but Ellie was faster. Her shot crossed the woman’s skull in less than a second. 

They ran to hide again, Abby to the right, Ellie to the left.

“Two on your side” Ellie mouthed to Abby, who nodded and signaled at one that was approaching her from the side.

Ellie pushed him and kick him hard in the face, the man was on the ground and the last he heard was the shot that put a bullet through his head.

She aimed at one of the guys that were approaching Abby, but lowered it when she saw her dealing with him.

“Woah” was all that she said, seeing how Abby grabbed the axe from one of them and wielded it towards his neck, then she dodged the wooden club that came straight to her head and punched the other guy consecutively, she had him pinned to the ground and he was grunting and trying to get free, but she kicked him again until he asked for mercy.

She grabbed the wooden club, put her foot on his chest and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, blood and sweat leaving a mark on her skin.

“I think that’s all of them” Ellie said, feeling her heart beating fast from the action. 

“Where did they go?” Abby asked the man that was on the ground, pressing him hard with her shoe.

“F…uck you” he said spitting some blood.

“Where did they go?” Abby repeated and then looked at Ellie, who was keeping an eye for any other threat at the same time she looked for supplies from the dead.

“Where!” Abby yelled kicking him in the ribs and then movin her shoe to his neck. She stared at him and swayed the wooden club.

The man just laughed and spat to his side.

“You’ll be sorry…” was all he said and then turned.

“Yeah, right…” Abby said and put the club away, she took her shiv and slowly pushed it through the man’s heart. Ellie say nothing at this.

“Where do you think they went?” Ellie said looking from the dead man to Abby.

“Who knows, we just need to follow what’s left of the trail, and apparently we’ll have to keep an eye for this fuckers… you need to take care of that soon” Abby said looking at the small hole that the arrow had left in Ellie´s arm, where blood was still flowing.

“I’ll do it if you keep a look” she added, kneeling and fetching the necessary elements from her backpack.

Ellie slowly took off her jacket to reveal the injury in her right arm.

“Nice tatoo…” Abby said looking at it, and then she noticed the strange mark in Ellie’s forearm.

As she cleaned the wound, she looked at this mark when Ellie’s eyes were looking away. Finally, she wrapped a bandage around it.

“Thank you” Ellie said feeling her arm healed already, and trying not to say anything else. She had left her arm too exposed. " _Did she see it?_ ", she thought and shook her head.

“No problem” Abby answered as she put her things away and checked her bruised knuckles.

A horrible sound was heard from where they had come, and it was followed by a loud noise of metal and rock.

“That doesn’t sound good. We should get going” Ellie said looking back, where she knew a huge mass of infected were still moving around.

They were far away now, but the more distance they put between them and those creatures, the better.

“C’mon” Abby said looking down at the trail left by the wheels. 

Her mind was working hard and she was suddenly feeling excited. Could Ellie be “ _the girl_ ”? They had assumed “the girl” died or that she ran away or something, but the idea of Ellie being immune, and oblivious to what she had caused, really made a difference.

She remembered what she and Dina were talking about behind the stable. Ellie and Joel had an argument, she was mad at something… could it be that Joel told her? If so, how much did she know? She must play it cool.

It started to rain and both girls groaned at the same time.

“I hate being wet” Abby said looking up at the sky, rain pouring down her face.

“Yeah… not cool at all” Ellie said looking at her soaked sneakers, thinking that she should have listened to Dina and used a pair of boots instead.

“How’s your arm?” Abby asked looking at the already wet bandage.

“It’s ok, a little sensitive, but nothing I can’t resist”

“You did great back there, thank you”

“Nothing compared to what you did” Ellie said and Abby’s smirk returned in full glory.

“Well… It took me long hours of training and hard work”

“I bet!”

“Some people don’t like it that much though… but I consider myself as me against the world. I appreciate the company, but I don’t find it necessary”

“Interesting. I think I’m kinda the opposite. I don’t like being alone…” Ellie said looking down, there have been too many times she really didn’t want to be alone.

“So… this Joel guy… how long have you known him?” Abby asked Ellie with a side glance.

“Joel? Years. He helped me when I was all alone” Abby noticed the change in tone and in Ellie’s attitude. She looked different when she talked about him.

“What is he to you?” Abby asked trying to sound as casual as possible.

“Mmmm… I don’t know how to say it, really. Not my dad, more than my friend…” Ellie said, her fingers caressing her chin as she thought about the first time she saw Joel.

“I see…”

“How about you? Do you have friends? Family?”

“I have some friends, no family left. My dad was killed a few years back” it was really hard to say it, especially to the girl who was so involved with it.

“I’m really sorry to hear that” Ellie said completely honest.

The neigh of a horse could be heard from around the next corner, and they immediately checked her guns and changed their stands in order to be stealthier.

The animal was tied up to a post, a truck was stopped with its engine running, and Abby’s heart was beating harder than ever. Owen… Mel… would Joel be there? That would be just awesome…

She turned to Ellie, who looked at her worried, but prepared. The idea of hurting her was awful, and this was the first time she was having second thoughts about her plan. Ever.


	9. “Stolen glances”

“Over here” Ellie said and they crouched at the farthest side of the road, where it ended and a hill started.

“Motherfucker! You thought you could escape didn’t ya!?” a big man yelled to a guy that was tied up on the floor, looking beaten up.

“C’mon Monroe… hurry the fuck up!” said a man that jumped out of the truck, looking around.

“Don’t tell me what to do”

“Stupid fucker, just do it, we need to catch up with the others”

As a response, the man named Monroe used a very long blade to slowly cut the guts from the man whose screams weren’t heard because he was muffled, until he fell to one side, his leg twitched involuntarily. Monroe looked satisfied and turned to walk towards the truck, where the other man was waiting. Inside, the silhouette of two people on the back called Abby’s attention, Ellie noticed this and passed her the rifle to look closely.

“Fuck” she said lowering the gun and returning it to Ellie. She looked around, as if looking for something to throw or something to do. Ellie’s hand in her forearm took her by surprise.

“We need to be smart about it” she said feeling something heavy in her stomach at the thought of Jesse and Dina.

“I know… Ellie, we need to follow them. It’s my fault they took them…” Abby looked upset.

“Let’s wait for a bit, until we know for sure they’re gone. Then we just follow their tracks” Ellie said not too convinced, as she looked at the rain washing down the trail.

“Look, they didn’t take the horse” Ellie said more optimistic now.

“Perfect” Abby said with a triumphant look on her face that Ellie found very cute.

They’d been hidden for some time now and it seemed like it was the right moment to go, and just when Abby was about to leave the hideout, Ellie stopped her again.

“Damn Monroe… I swear… He’s lucky I was taking care of my business” the voice of an old man came from a place near where they were, and they crawled to get covered by the tall grass that was near. The man climbed down the hill, adjusted his pants and walked towards the horse, cursing at the sight of the dead man that was now in a puddle of blood.

Ellie silently took out her bow and an arrow crossed the man’s head. He fell hard on the ground and the horse neighed from afar, kicking the ground. They left their hideout and walked towards it.

“Well… look at that…” Abby said and Ellie followed her eyes to see how the last of the infected were falling, still chasing the trail they had left behind.

“Do you think they’ll be able to leave that place? Those things were forming a huge mass of infected” Ellie said trembling at the thought.

“I really hope not. I wouldn’t like to come across something like that. We should’ve bomb the hell out of them” Abby said looking back just when a loud scream was heard from the depths. “Maybe later, I really don’t want to go back and lose that time” she added fast and started to untie the horse from the post. She scratched its ears and passed her hand through her neck and mane. Ellie imitated her and after a few seconds of happiness, and a few stolen glances, they mounted, Abby holding the reigns this time.

Ellie felt confident. Abby was riding smoothly and trying to remain out of sight at the same time. She looked at the new landscape that was in front of her and was relieved to see that the wheels were still clearly visible in the mud. There was no other sign of the truck, and since it was not so long ago that they saw it, Ellie thought that they must have been really fast.

“Two trucks, they were really fast” Abby said to her back and pointing to her side, where Ellie saw that the tire marks looked… exactly as tire marks looked like in the mud. She supposed that Abby could see something else, and didn’t miss that she had said exactly what she was thinking, and this sent butterflies to her stomach. _“ **Really? Now?** ”_ she thought, but still allowed herself a small smile.

“Look!” Abby said after a long ride and they got down from the horse.

“I guess that’s our way in…” Ellie said looking at the post that could be seen in the distance, two guys were patrolling the upper side of a gate. And three others were patrolling out of their field of vision. They were heavily armed and there was a military air about them.

“Hunters…” Ellie said quietly.

“You know them?”

“I’ve met some of them. Wish I hadn’t”

“I see”

“We can do this before they see us. I’ll handle the ones on the right and you deal with the one to the left”

“OK, we’ll meet at the gate”

Abby let the horse eating grass and crouching again, they parted their ways, each knowing that the other would be fine.

Ellie sneaked up on the hunter from behind, her shiv now deep in the man’s throat. She looked at Abby, who did the same with the first and then stabbed the other one in the stomach, he punched her, she punched him back and then sliced his throat.

“Same here, you on the left” Abby said to Ellie when they met again. She nodded and both of them started to climb on each side. It took them less than a minute to deal with them.

“Teamwork!” Abby hold up her hand, and Ellie’s eyes shone.

“Yeah!” she high-fived and felt happy in spite of the circumstances. As Abby climbed down to the other side of the gate, Ellie thought about the moments they’d shared. She’s been truly happy with her, and was glad that Joel found her that night. She imagined telling this to him, and wondered whether he was in Jackson, asking about her. She could see Jesse apologizing and the racket Joel would be doing.

“This way is better” Abby said from below, signaling a sort of improvised hanging stair on the side.

“Thanks” Ellie said once she was next to her.

“Let’s follow the trail”

They didn’t encounter any other hunter on the way and walked what felt like an hour, turning at the faintest sound, until they found the two trucks parked outside of a big building. Around five hunters could be seen walking around, checking their guns. Two of them started to fight, and the girls used this opportunity to get a little closer. Abby signaled a broken fence they could climb, but the fight was over before they could do it. The guy with the broken lip kicked a stone and walked away.

Ellie grabbed a brick and threw it as far as she could, making them go check that way. They climbed to the other side, and hidden in the tall grass, they walked around the building.

“Stop!” Ellie felt her heart in her mouth when she retreated a few steps, making Abby step back too.

“What is it?”

“Tripwire traps, these things are _nasty_!” the idea of almost being killed in such a stupid way made her concentrate harder.

“Ok, we need to turn around and go the other way”

“What if we found these too?”

“Good point”

“Look, we just need to be careful” Abby said as she put a hand on Ellie’s shoulder and slowly passed over the trap, careful not to touch anything. Ellie didn’t realize she was holding her breath until she felt dizzy.

“Your turn” Abby said, suddenly feeling very anxious. She didn’t speak until Ellie was safely back on her side.

“That was…”

“Yeah, it was”

They looked at each other, and both of them grabbed their stomach and breathed a sigh.

“OK, extra careful from now on”

It took them a long time to close the gap, and luckily for them there were no more traps on the way.

The road that was ahead looked deserted, but they could hear screams somewhere not far away. They were different from the screams the infected made.

“What the hell is happening here?” Abby said feeling scared.

“Whatever it is, I don’t want to find out the hard way. We’ve been lucky so far"

“Well… looks like your luck just ran out”

Both Ellie and Abby turned wide-eyed to look at the bald man who said these words, he was holding a thick rope he had used to climb down.

“Hey Johnny! Look what I found!” he yelled and Ellie looked from the corner of her eye how Abby stood up in record time, pushed the man forward and started hitting him on the face, he grabbed her by the arms and threw her to one side, Ellie quickly stood up and started going towards them, taking out her shiv.

“Oh no… you’re not going anywhere” Johnny said from behind, pointing a gun at her. She ignored it and dived fast to his neck, her hand now hot from the blood that was pouring from him.

“What the fuck!” the bald man said walking towards Ellie, looking at his friend dead next to her, and before Ellie could prepare for the attack, she saw how a knife pierced his neck, and he fell dead, revealing Abby standing behind, her face bruised from the punches she received, and a hand in her ribs.

“Come here” Ellie said as she hold her and helped her sit against the wall of the building. She kneeled in front of her and started the examination, this time she didn’t ask for permission.

“Any broken rib? ’Cause it fucking feels like it” Abby said with difficulty, looking at Ellie as she touched her ribs one by one, sending shivers through her body.

“Not a single one of them” Ellie said sitting next to her, truly relieved. “Let’s rest for a bit, hopefully no one else heard him” she said looking at the bald head of the dead man.

Ellie checked her backpack and took out a bottle of water. She gave it to Abby, who drank and then returned it to her. It felt good to drink fresh water after a fight, especially if you won it.

Closing her eyes, Abby started to organize her thoughts because right now, her head was a complete chaos.


	10. “Let’s do this”

Screams stopped and were replaced by laughter. Somehow that was even scarier than the screams and the girls moved in their spot, trying to find the courage to go forward. It was now pouring, and they could feel every inch of their bodies wet and cold. But still, they didn’t move. The sun was setting and soon darkness would be another enemy to consider.

“Who’s gonna go to central? I need a ride” a man’s voice could be heard over a radio.

“Monroe is going there soon, he’s gonna go finish those guys off” another man replied, and his voice sounded very close.

“The ones from Jackson? Did he get the information?” the voice on the radio asked fast.

“Yes, I did” said Monroe with the deep voice they’d heard before. From their hideout they could see a road in front of them. To their right, the building they wanted to enter and were screams were coming from.

“Gimme that” he said abruptly taking the device.

“Hey!” the man yelled at him, but Monroe kicked him in the shin, he didn’t respond and just sobbed his leg, throwing deadly looks at him, but saying nothing. He left cursing low.

“Who wants to know?” Monroe spat to the radio

“Hey, Monroe! It’s Dan. I need to go to central, when are you going?”

“Soon. I need to finish with a couple of _tourists_ …” the way he said that sent chills through their bodies.

“’right… I’ll come to you then. Where are you?”

“Right next to the interrogation building.” he heard a strange sound and turned around.

Ellie and Abby looked horrified as the bald man’s leg suffered a postmortem spam and despite of the heavy rain, Monroe’s trained ear caught that.

Abby prepared for the encounter, and so did Ellie.

“What the…” Monroe started to say and dived at Abby’s hit.

“Oh well… what do we have here?”

Ellie took out her gun but he was faster than they thought and caught her by the arms, Abby went around him and punched him hard in the ribs, but it was like hitting a wall, he pushed her away and she fell to the ground. Her hand was shaking after the punch, and the man laughed.

“You’re coming with me” his smile was sickening.

He put an arm around Ellie’s neck and increased the pressure, by the short time it took Abby to take out her gun, Ellie was already unconscious on the ground.

“Shoot me… c’mon” he said with a horrible laugh and opening his arms, Abby could see Monroe’s horrible teeth. She knew that shooting would attract more of them, but she also knew that he was stronger than her. At that point there was only one thing to do.

“I won’t” Abby said lowering her gun and looking defeated.

“Damn girl, you gave up fast” he laughed at her as he got closer.

He took Abby’s chin and examined her face.

“Yes… yes… let’s see…” he said and pushed her hard against the wall. Abby’s blood was boiling at this point, but she needed to be patient.

“Yes… I think I’ll have a taste of this before anyone else” he said licking his lips. He was very strong and used one hand to uncover Abby’s breasts. Her chest going up and down.

“Oh yes… now we’re talking…”

He grabbed her arms and stood behind her, pushing her head down to get her in position. Abby heard the zipper going down and tried to move, but the man grabbed her from behind. She smiled… he did exactly what she wanted him to do. She dropped all of her weight, making him let go, unable to carry the weight. Abby took this chance, grabbed one of the hands that was trying to hold her and pulled the fingers up as far as she could, before Monroe got any chance to scream or do anything else, she swiftly stroked his nose with the crown of her head, knocking him out. She fixed her clothes as she approached Ellie.

“Ellie…” she shook her, tried to open her eyes, and even slapped her face, but Ellie didn’t wake up. “C’mon Ellie!” she caressed her face and looked at her, and just when she started to feel nervous, Ellie blinked and sit, startled to find herself on the ground.

“What happened?” she said rubbing her neck

“He’s out… but now we really need to go. He looks important” Monroe’s radio emitted a short sound, followed by two short ones. Then interference. Abby looked at Ellie and they shrugged. The same sequence could be heard two more times, and then an alarm sounded above them and all around.

“Shit” both of them said.

“Ok, let’s go, fast” Abby said and they took the road, circling the building.

The front entrance was empty. And they didn’t stop to check if anyone else saw them. Inside, the building had a huge ceiling, two stairs on each side leading to the second floor and a dark corridor with a few doors.

“Let’s split” Ellie suggested, and Abby nodded.

Ellie to the right, Abby to the left. They walked a couple of steps, screams reached their ears. Ellie pointed to a closed door and signaled Abby to wait.

“Please stop! He can’t take it anymore!” Mel’s voice came from below, she was screaming at the top of her lungs. Her voice wasn’t heard again.

“It’s them” Abby told Ellie when they were side by side again. Ellie passed her a clip of ammo and checked her own guns.

“Aaaaaaaaaaaarghhhhhhhhhh”

“Owen…” Abby said in a low voice and they hurriedly approached the room, following the sound of his screams. Abby kicked the door open and what she saw made her stop dead.

“Who the hell are you?” A man with a knife that was dripping blood turned at the racket.

Ellie shot an arrow to his chest and he fell dead to one side. Abby closed the distance between her and Owen. He was tied up to a pole that was in the center of the room. His left arm was mangled, with bone exposed and blood pouring slowly from what was left of his hand. Clearly, the man wanted to do the same to the other arm, a deep cut crossed it from shoulder to hand. Owen was standing, tied up, looking at nothing. His eyes were empty.

“Owen…” Abby said between sobs, tears pouring from her eyes, making her lose sight. She rubbed her eyes and started to move. Mel was on top of a table, unconscious. Abby went to check on her, she had clear signs of abuse. Her face was bleeding from a cut in her cheek, where Abby could see the mark of knuckles, her left leg was broken, and she had marks and bruises on both arms.

“Monsters…” Abby said with her teeth clenched. Ellie started to carefully untie Mel and Abby went to do the same with Owen.

The alarm could still be heard on the distance.

“Ellie…”

“I know… how are we going to carry them? Where?” Ellie said looking around for some sort of answer to those questions. They couldn’t waste time.

“Can you take her?” Abby asked Ellie as she grabbed Owen, carrying him on her shoulder.

“I guess…” Ellie grabbed Mel and did the same, she was heavy, but all in all, it was manageable.

“Ok, let’s go”

They were down the corridor, trying to move as fast as possible with the extra weight.

“Anyone seen Monroe?”

“Not here”

“Not here”

“What about down the corridor? He said he was going to finish the tourists”

Ellie and Abby stopped with their precious cargo, there was someone coming straight to them. Abby put Owen on the floor and crouched. The man didn’t know what hit him, and Abby didn’t lose time to check, she grabbed his foot, dragged him to the side and then put a knife through his neck. She peeked through the bars of the stairs.

“Five. All armed” Abby bit her lip and looked around and above, as if trying to find another way out.

“Stay here” Ellie said looking at Mel and Owen resting next to Abby. She crafted a Molotov cocktail and some explosives arrows. Then, with a last look to Abby, she prepared to face the men. Abby felt strange. She didn’t want her to be in danger… and right now she couldn’t tell if the fast beating of her heart was due to the situation they were in, or because of her. Whatever the reason, she wasn’t alone. Ellie felt a hand in her shoulder and turned with a start and saw Abby.

“Let’s do this” she said and both of them launched towards the group of men that looked confused.


	11. “Rear-view mirror”

“Look out!” one of them yelled, but too late.

Ellie threw the Molotov towards the three man that were together, they burned among screams of pain. It didn’t matter. Abby launched herself towards the guy that was near the door, the radio he was holding fell to the ground when she pushed a knife through his chest.

There was only one more. A red-haired man that looked from Ellie to Abby, unable to believe his eyes.

“How… who are you?”

“Where’s central?” Ellie asked deadly serious.

“Central? Why? Who are you?”

Abby came closer and punched him in the stomach. The man bended over, coughing and cursing.

“Where’s central?” Ellie repeated her question, she looked fierce.

“Ce—central. Yes. Northwest. About half an hour from here…”

The alarm was still on and Ellie looked around. They were alone with this guy, and in total they were just five guys… where were the others?

“What’s that alarm?” Abby asked looking around, frowning.

“Infected… they’re trespassing the gates… you’ll never make it to central” he said laughing and Ellie hit him in the back of the neck, leaving him unconscious.

“Leave him for the infected” she said kicking him.

“Ellie, look” Abby said pointing to the pick-up truck that was parked outside.

“Let me go check if everything’s ok” Ellie crossed the entrance door of the building and looked around. Sunlight was gone and Ellie was squinting her eyes, but there was no one there, the sound of gunfire and yells could be heard all around. Ellie quickly got in the truck, turned the key and the engine started immediately. She left it running and went to help Abby, who was carrying Owen. He was awake, if you could say that. He’s eyes were looking at nothing in particular. Abby put him in the back, as careful as if dealing with a glass sculpture. Ellie was carrying Mel and Abby helped her put her next to Owen. Her eyes still closed, and by the look of her, it was better this way. Lights started to turn on, most of them blinking.

“Let’s get the hell out of here…” Ellie said to Abby, stepping on the clutch.

“Ellie…” Abby said looking back and Ellie used the rear-view mirror. It was Monroe. He was standing there, looking at them go. The intermittent light of the building illuminated the red blotch that covered his face, behind his horrible smile. He was laughing.

“I should’ve kill him…” Abby said, clenching her fist.

“Don’t… You were great… shit… you saved me!”

“Of course I did!” “You’re my partner…” Abby added in a low voice, blushing and looking out the window. The word had escaped her lips before she could think of the meaning. Ellie didn’t answer, she was staring at the road, looking for a way out.

Abby turned to look back at Mel and Owen. No changes in them. She was finding it hard to resist the temptation of going to the back sit and do the impossible to wake Owen up. He looked so different.

“Shit…” Ellie said as she faced another wall. Reverse. Turn, go. They drove for a couple of minutes, the alarm still sounding loud. Another wall. Suddenly Ellie had the horrible thought that Monroe knew they were surrounded.

“We need to go back…” Ellie said, a drop of sweat going down her face.

“Let’s go, I’ll cover us” Abby said preparing her gun.

Ellie felt a pull in her stomach, thinking that they were going straight to a trap. But there was no other way. She looked at the road ahead, they would have to go the same way they came, right were Monroe was, but he wasn’t on the street anymore.

“Ok, here we go” Ellie said more to herself and she accelerated.

The alarm suddenly stopped.

“Hope that’s a good sign” Abby said, looking around as they turn right, uphill.

The explosions that surrounded them were loud enough to call the attention of anyone in miles. Screams were coming from nearby… And then nothing. The truck was slowly going forward until they encountered a line of people cutting the road. Monroe was in the middle, a metal bat in his hands. The others were heavily armed.

“Run them over!” Abby yelled in anger, she would love to kill Monroe. She had the idea that he was responsible for the state of her friends.

“I don’t think I’ll get enough speed… But we’ll have to try” Ellie said looking around and spotting the tip of one of her explosives arrows. “Use that!” she said to Abby, who took Ellie’s bag and gathered the arrows. Four explosives arrows, one already in the bow Abby was holding.

“NOW!” Ellie yelled as she pressed the pedal all the way down. Monroe and his man started shooting at them, missing for inches. Abby shoot the first arrow and it hit straight in the chest of the man that was next to Monroe, who looked astonished to see how he exploded in front of his eyes. The next explosive arrow missed him, and he looked furious. They were still shooting when the third arrow landed between the two men on the left, blowing up their legs and part of their upper body. It was a horrifying view.

Ellie managed to come through, looking how they faded away in the rear-view mirror.

Abby touched her arms and legs, looking for any injury and finding none. She checked on Owen and Mel, who were still out of themselves.

“You ok?” she said to Ellie, whose knuckles looked white by the pressure she was putting to the wheel.

“Yeah… thought we were fucked back there” she said with a sigh, relaxing a bit and looking into the mirror again.

“Now what?” Ellie said slowing down and Abby looked ahead, to the closed gate that was stopping them from going.

“I think the infected they were talking about were the ones that were chasing us before, they finally found a way to leave that hole… if that’s the case, we’ll have bigger problems than a sick bastard chasing us….” Abby said looking around.

“D’you think we can just past it?”

“That depends… but if we can’t, we’ll probably get hurt” Abby answered pointing at the precarious situation that they were.

“I’ll go check, you take the wheel” Ellie said leaving the truck and going towards the gate. It was locked, but it didn’t seem to be light enough to just drive through it. She looked around for an opening mechanism, her eyes looking at Abby from time to time. She was nervous, and extremely anxious to leave that place and going to central, hoping that Joel and Tommy were still ok. Right now, she was imagining the worst scenarios a man like Monroe could deliver.

“I got it!” she said yelling with triumph as she slowly took out the metal bar that was serving as a padlock. The gate started to open very slowly, it was heavy.

“Leave it there and come!” Abby yelled at her, those guys could show up anytime…

The sound of a motorcycle sounded loud behind them. It was Monroe again, driving with one hand and swinging his bat with the other.

“Ellie!”

“GO!” Ellie yelled at her, signaling to pass the gate, which was ready to be broken at this point.

Abby bit her lip and got on the gas as quickly as she could, passing Ellie when the gate finally broke and the truck was free. Monroe was going fast too. Ellie ran behind the truck that slowed down for a second and got to jump in the back. She and Abby exchanged looks through the glass, somehow Abby’s eyes felt like home now. She was surprised to notice that she was now a very important part of her life, as if they had known each other for ages, instead than being less than a week.

She looked at Monroe, who finally stopped his bike and looked at them going. There was something in his stance that made Ellie feel nervous. As if he knew something they don’t, like the time when they were escaping… he knew there was no exit that way and managed to gather his men in order to catch them.

Ellie was still frowning at the thought when Abby slowed down and finally stopped the vehicle.

“He’s gonna find us” Ellie said to Abby as she climbed down.

“I know. I need to take care of them, can you drive us to a safe place?” Abby said pointing to her friends

“Sure. Let’s hurry then, better safe than sorry”

Abby nodded and sat next to Ellie, who was driving slowly and carefully away from the main road, towards an open field with tall grass. The darkness broken only by their headlights.

“We could hide here for a while” Ellie said stopping the car. Abby looked pale and worried.

“I’ll check on them for you” Ellie said as she went around to check on Mel. It took her only a minute to figure out she was already dead.


	12. “I trust you”

They were surrounded by darkness. And silence.

“At least it stopped raining” Abby said looking up at the moon, the last clouds moving away with the wind.

“Abby… I’m sorry” Ellie said leaving Mel’s hand in her lap, turning around to see Abby, who couldn't answer.

“We need to take care of him now, fast”

“Yeah” Abby said helping Ellie. Together, they took Mel out of the vehicle and laid her gently on the soft grass.

“I used tourniquets in his arms, but he really needs medical attention” Ellie said when they were looking at Owen.

Abby felt really conflicted and didn’t answer immediately.

“Tell you what… You take the truck and get him to Jackson. I’ll go with you half-way, you can leave me on route so I can go to central” Ellie said as she worked on Owen’s shattered arm.

“You can’t go there alone! What are you saying?” Abby said unable to stop herself. She turned and went to the backside of the truck, she was fuming. Why was this happening? Owen was…

And now Ellie was going to get Joel, or probably die trying. She couldn’t understand what upset her the most: not being able to finish Joel her way, Owen’s state, or Ellie.

She found an old rug that she tossed away. She shook the dust and then used it to cover Mel’s body.

“I’m so sorry for this” Abby said low as she looked at Mel’s beaten body. Tears fell and she quickly dried them off.

“He’s unconscious, but at least he’s not losing blood now” Ellie said and stoop up, feeling dizzy. She almost fell, but managed to find balance by holding the truck’s roof.

“Ellie, what is it?” Abby said getting closer and extending her hands, just in time to hold her by the waist. She felt something warm and liquid… blood.

“Were you hit? Let me see”

“I don’t… ok...” Ellie obliged and let Abby take her to the passenger seat. She took her jacket off.

“That’s where the arrow hit you” Abby said feeling a kind of fear she was unfamiliar with.

“Shit, must have opened during the fight” Ellie said looking at her hand, her fingers were tingling and she was feeling dizzy again, even though she was sitting.

“Abby… I think I’m gonna pass out soon”

“Don’t. I need you awake… please, Ellie”

“I’ll try” Abby did her best with the only bandage they had left. She grabbed the end of her t-shirt and cut a strip with her teeth.

“Hey, look at me… You got this. We’re gonna patch up and then off to get Joel, right?” she said as she finished the improvised fix, carefully covering Ellie.

“Right… Yeah… we’ll do that. I just need to rest for a second”

“I’ll give you five minutes, then you’ll need to guide me to Jackson”

“………” Ellie was already dozed off.

Abby quickly put Mel gently in the back seat, next to Owen. She secured them so they won’t move too much. She caressed Owen’s face and looked away before tears came again.

Sitting in the driver’s seat, she turned the engine on and Ellie opened her eyes.

“Hey, eat this” Abby said giving Ellie something wrapped.

“What? What is it?” Ellie said opening it very slowly, her fingers were numb and she felt a prickling sensation with every movement.

“Oh my… yes! This helps…” she said as she bit the chocolate bar she had in her hands. “Where did you get this?”

“Mel…” Abby gulped. “Mel did it. She said it was for moments when you think you were losing it. So, what do you think?”

“This feels like life itself, you haven’t tried it?”

“Nope. Still haven’t been in that situation”

“I’ll save you some, don’t worry. I feel better, but I have the feeling that this won’t last long, so I’ll be quick”.

“I hear you”

“The easiest way to find Jackson at night is to follow the lights, it should be visible from a certain distance…”

Ellie coughed and grimaced, she drank some water and rested her head in the headrest.

“Don’t you dare leave me hanging here” Abby said looking at her for a second. She seemed exhausted, and pale. So pale.

“Yes, I’m still here. Ok, on the main road to Jackson you will find pine trees”

More coughs.

“Abby… can I ask you something?” Ellie said softly, her voice almost a whisper.

“Sure, anything… just don’t…” ( _die_ ) she thought to herself.

“Would you… If I… would you go look for him?”

“What?” Abby’s heart was racing fast.

“I trust you… I know you can do it”

“Ellie… I… Of course I will”

She was focused on the road, but her mind and her heart were having a huge battle. Flashbacks of her father flooded her mind. Joel shooting at him when he was unarmed. Saving Ellie… his father, Joel, Ellie.

When she looked at her again, Ellie was unconscious.

“So this is it. I can do it” she said to herself and to the two people she cared for the most in the world.

………………

“Pine trees… Pine trees…” she repeated more to stay awake than anything.

The road was pitch-black and the headlights weren’t strong enough to illuminate as far as possible for those guys.

“Stupid. How could I be so stupid! It would have taken me two seconds to kill him!!”

Abby was having another rant, yelling to keep the anger away.

She heard a moan. Ellie turned, her eyes were closed, but Abby could tell she was in pain. When she looked at the road again, she was just in time to avoid a tree.

“Shit… that was close. Ok, focus”

She saw a pine tree, then another one, and then another one.

“This must be it, right Ellie?... Sure, this is it”

The road was empty when the first infected appeared, then another one, Abby avoided them easily, preparing herself for the worst, considering the hordes that were surrounding Jackson.

But she didn’t see any other infected, and lights could be seen ahead.

“Yes! Just a little more”

She flashed the headlights when she was getting near the gate in an attempt to call the attention. It worked, they opened the gate. For a second she thought that this kindness would be their doom, but as soon as she passed the gate, she realized that they were far from being weak.

Around 50 people were pointing at the truck, she turned the engine off and put her hands up, yelling outside:

“It’s Abby. I’m with Ellie and a friend”

“Step out of the vehicle, hands up”

She did and Maria came closer and greeted her. She could hear the racket of people returning to their posts.

“Ellie is injured, and my friend too”

“You two! Go tell the Doc we’re bringing him some patients! You! And you, help Abby with her friend. And you two…” she was interrupted by Dina running into them.

“Maria… Let…. Me…. Ellie…” Dina said out of breath.

“Sure. Dina and Scott, help me with Ellie”

“My other friend didn’t make it, is there somewhere I could bury her?” the words seem like coming from someone else, she still couldn’t believe it.

“I’m so sorry, don’t worry, we’ll help you with her” Maria said as she silently signaled other people.

“What happened?” Dina asked Abby when they were carrying Ellie and Owen to the infirmary.

“We were escaping from the horde when we found a way down. We followed it and found that they had taken my friends. Ellie decided to go with me to rescue them, but we were surrounded. Ellie said they were Hunters”

“Damn it” Maria said biting her lip.

“Ellie thinks Joel and Tommy are in a place called Central” Abby finished.

“Thank you. That’s very helpful. I’ll leave you with them, I need to go organize this”

“Maria… I’d like to go” Abby said looking straight to her eyes.

“But you just got here… and your friend?”

“I want revenge. I need revenge…” she said near tears

“I understand”

“Besides, I don’t think I can help him too much”

“That’s true. I’ll go check on Ellie and then I’ll come for you”

“Thank you”

Owen was under the care of the Doc.

“Poor fella, this kind of torture… it drives you mad” the Doc said as he examined Owen’s injuries.

“Whoever did this worked fast, with knowledge. I can’t do anything for his left arm, but I may be able to save the right one” he said to Abby and immediately started to prepare the equipment. The two assistant moving around, eager to help and learn.

“Is there anything I can do?”

“Not right now. He’ll be in good hands, you take care of yourself, k?”

“Thank you”

She put her hand on Owen’s leg and squeezed it. He didn’t react, his chest was moving at a nice rhythm, which was a good sign. She was stretching her arms outside when she saw Maria, who looked nervous.

“Maria, is everything all right?”

“Ellie’s not too good. We need to find a blood donor”

“I’m a universal donor. Let me do it”

“You’re out of the scout team then, right?” Abby nodded in silence, but firm. “I see, I appreciate it”

“Sure, she saved me too” she said thinking that this was true in more than one way.

“Come with me”

They entered a room that looked clean and illuminated. Dina was biting her nails and approached Maria as soon as she saw her.

“Did you find one?”

“We’re lucky, she found us” Maria said guiding Abby to a chair that was next to the bed where Ellie was resting. She was wearing only her t-shirt, and Abby looked at her tattoo... a mark clearly visible behind it. Her heart missed a bit.

“This won’t take long, but you may experience some dizziness and weakness”

“What happened? Where’s Ellie?” Jesse said crossing the threshold and looking at his friend lying on the bed, pale as a sheet of paper.

“Is she going to be ok?”

“She will” Abby said taking off her jacket and extending her arm to one of the nurses, she quickly gathered the necessary tools and started the procedure. Jesse looked at her with grateful eyes. “Thank you” was all he could say.

“Let’s go, it’s gonna take a while and they need to rest” Maria said to Jesse and Dina.

Abby noticed how Jesse put an arm around Dina’s waist and she rested her head on his shoulder.

“Apparently she’s his girlfriend after all…” Abby thought and a warm feeling traveled through her body from head to toes. Must be the blood. She looked at the bag that was slowly filling up.

“This will do, we don’t want you to be too weak! Don’t we?” the nurse said after some time, she walked towards Abby with her hand going straight to the needle on her arm, but Abby grabbed her to stop.

“Take more, she needs it”

“You’re a good friend, but I assure you it’s fine”

“Just a little more, just to be sure” Abby said with a smirk that intended to be challenging, but ended up being a faint smile. She let the nurse take the needle out.

When she saw the bag with blood in her hands, she noticed that it was considerable fuller.

“Now, if you do me the favor of drinking this and staying for a couple of minutes I’ll really appreciate it”

“Sure, thank you” Abby drank the beverage. It tasted funny, but she felt better. She wanted to check on Ellie, but her sight was failing her… then everything was black.


	13. “Don’t go”

Ellie heard someone vomiting. She felt strange… “Where am I” she thought as she slowly opened her eyes. She blinked at the fluorescent light that was above. A familiar ceiling. Footsteps. She tensed, and felt her whole body tingling.

“Hey! You’re back!” Ellie heard and rubbed her face with her hands.

“Shh... stay calm. You were out for a while”

“out… shit! Abby…” Ellie tried to sit fast, but couldn’t.

Dina smiled in defeat as she helped her sit, her legs hanging from the bed. She feared that Ellie and Abby would forge a bond beyond her reach.

“Take this, easy…” Dina helped her drink some water. Her movements were slow, but all in all she seemed to be recovering fast.

“Thank you…” Ellie said looking at her and blushing. Dina had always made her feel nervous, but she knew that this feeling wasn’t for her, and she felt strangely exposed.

“She’s ok” Dina said smiling at her, their friendship stronger than ever. “I was worried sick, you two just disappeared from view, and we had several loses. What happened to you?”

“It was shitty, we ran into some Hunters. We were lucky”

“I guess you worked well together, eh?” Dina said with a smirk, raising an eyebrow.

“Well… yeah… she saved me… Dina, I need to go. We have a lead on Joel, would you help me?”

“I’m not sure the Doc would be happy with that”

“Nothing she can do about it. I wanna go check on Abby first, where is she?” Ellie said as she stood up, checked her status and sat again.

“Why don’t you wait here? I’ll go fetch your stuff and see if she’s up. Eat that” Dina said pointing to a sandwich that was on the side table.

“Seems like a plan…” Ellie said with her hands on her knees, sighing.

“Stay put” she said and left.

Dina walked along the corridor and got to the other room. She knocked, but got no answer. She knocked again, same. She slowly opened the door, but it was empty, just like the plate and glass on her side table. She frowned and when to check on Owen, the curtain that gave him some privacy was opened and Abby was sitting next to him, holding the hand he had left. He was still unconscious, but moved a bit when Abby called his name. Dina was deciding whether to interrupt or enter when Abby looked at her.

“Hi”

“Hi there! How are you feeling?” Dina asked without moving closer.

“Rested. Thank you. Is Ellie ok?” she said giving a last look at Owen and getting ready to leave, Dina stepped out and motioned her to follow.

“She’s better. Hey… thank you”

“What for?”

“You know…”

Abby looked at her. She was honest, and she cared for Ellie.

“No problem”

“She wanted to see you, but she’s still a little weak” Dina pointed her towards Ellie’s direction. “I’m gonna get your gear ready” she said and left.

Abby walked a bit and looked at Ellie trying to stand, she stumbled a little.

“You should rest some more” Abby said as she got closer.

“I’m ok. You?”

“Fine. It’s been a while since I slept so well”

“That’s good. Hey, listen…”

“You’re going, right?”

“Yeah”

“I’m ready”

“You don’t have to… but I’ll really appreciate your company”

Abby just smiled at this and passed her arm across her waist to help her find balance.

“If you can’t walk, how do you pretend rescue him?”

“You help me?” Ellie said smiling at her

Abby laughed at this, making her laugh too. They stopped at the same time and looked at each other.

“Thank you” they said at the same time and then looked away, blushing.

Dina stopped dead at the door. She hid and turned her back at the scene that was hurting her deep inside. “No, this won’t be me” she thought and turned again, and decisive, she entered the room with confidence.

“Glad to see you two on your feet. Your gear is ready, are you sure you don’t want to wait?”

“Thank you Dina, did Maria send the scouting groups? Any news?”

“She did. Jesse volunteered first… No news yet”

“Shit. Are you coming with us?” Ellie said finishing the last of her water.

“I’d like to, but I’m not feeling too good lately” she caressed her belly involuntarily.

Maria entered the room just at that moment.

“Ellie. How do you feel?”

“Fine, I’m going with Abby”

“I thought you would. Abby, you ok?”

“Yes, thanks.”

Maria nodded and looked at them, she then left the room and they followed. Before leaving the infirmary, Dina lead them to the right, were both of their backpacks were ready.

“I put some food and water, you’ll need it”

“Thank you Dina… for everything” Ellie said grateful as they took their gears. Ellie felt hers too heavy, and when she was leaving it on the bench again, Abby grabbed it and took it with her, winking at Ellie.

Outside, Abby used her hand to cover the sunlight. People were all over the place, helping moving big logs, securing doors, covering any possible weakness in their perimeter.

“We take infected very seriously” Dina said to her when she saw her looking at this movement.

“Nice, what we saw was not something to take lightly” Abby said appreciatively.

“Ellie… you ok?” Maria said to her, making Abby and Dina looked at her direction. She was leaning on the light post.

“Yeah. Don’t mind me”

“I’d love to help you, but we can’t spare any more men… and I can’t leave…”

“Don’t worry, it’s fine”

Before any of them could say something else they heard a yell coming from the gate.

“Someone’s coming!”

They hurried towards the gate, Dina helping Ellie from time to time. The gate opened to reveal an unconscious Jesse on his horse. He was tied up to it.

“Jesse!” Dina said and rushed towards him, leaving Ellie with Abby.

“Can you see anything?” Ellie said standing on her tiptoes.

“Not from here, they’re helping him down” Abby said looking ahead, her arm around Ellie.

Jesse was moved to a nearby table that was cleared to serve as a gurney. They cut the ropes on his hands. Maria and Dina were looking at him and the Doc approached and examined him, she grabbed his shoulders and said “Can you hear me?” with no response. She examined his breathing, and when she moved him to the side, he vomited. Then he slowly started to open his eyes. “Jesse, you are safe, can you sit?” the Doc said gently and he nodded. Maria helped and he looked around, feeling confused.

“Jesse, how do you feel?” Maria asked him and he just looked at his hands.

“They have them. They killed everyone except me. They have Tommy and Joel, they showed them to me!” Jesse said clenching his fists in anger.

Ellie freed from Abby’s grip and walked towards him.

“Jesse, is he alive?”

“Barely… Ellie… don’t go”

“What?”

“He’s waiting for you… I know it”

“Why? Did he say anything?”

“They talked about the tourists girls and how they were gonna to be their guests of honor”

“Fucker… was it a big guy?”

“Yeah, he killed the guys in front of me, made me watch. He wasn’t fast” Jesse’s eyes darted to the ground.

“We’re going. And I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch”

“Ellie, don’t, please. I couldn’t see how many were there”

“How many attacked you?”

“Five”

“When we escaped their facility they were being overrun by infected, I bet they are all that’s left… good”

“You don’t know that”

“I don’t really care. How can we get there?”

Jesse looked at her and shook his head.

“If you follow the north path you’ll find a building with a red roof. Just around that corner, it’s a big place, they could be anywhere. After he showed me Joel and Tommy the other guys took them away”

“I see, thank you Jesse. I’ll see you when I get back” Ellie said and hugged him gently, then left him looking defeated. Dina stroked his hair, he looked calmer somehow.

Ellie looked at Abby and she nodded. They were going no matter what.

“You can take your horse, Beth says he’s ok now”

“Great, thanks Maria”

“Please be careful. I know you are, but this is big”

“We’ll be careful, and we’ll be back with them, I promise” Ellie said feeling energized and full of rage. She could see Joel on the ground, bleeding and at the mercy of that fucking Monroe. She felt anxious, and wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Maria sent for her horse and helped them with the gear. Abby looked at Jesse and nod at him, he did the same.

“Ok, we’ll be going then. See ya soon” Ellie said at Maria and looked at Dina and Jesse. Dina said something to him and then approached Ellie.

“I want you back in one piece, hear me?” she said to her very serious.

“I’ll do my best”

“And you” she said to Abby, who stopped tightening the reigns and looked at her with a raised eyebrow, “please keep doing what you’re doing, you’ll welcome to stay here as long as you want. I’ll take care of Owen”

“I really appreciate it, thank you Dina”

Abby helped Ellie mount and then she grabbed the reigns.

“Ok, Callus the second, time for a ride”

“You remember his name…” Ellie said faintly at her back.

“’Course, who could forget a name like that?” Abby said as they exit Jackson.

The road was clear and the sun was high. Feeling confident and determined, they galloped through the path they had in front of them, both of them feeling anxious, angry, and scared.

After a long ride, Abby stopped.

“I want you to walk a bit”

“What?”

“Just a bit, I need you to be stable and able to run… don’t you think?”

“Oh man… I’m OK!”

“Show me…” Abby said as she helped her down, then mounted again and slowly moved forward.

“Ok, I can do that”

She walked a couple of steps and felt weak, but she didn’t want Abby to see her defeated, so she pushed harder.

“Don’t push harder if you feel like you can’t” Abby said from above

“Shut it… I know what I’m doing”

“Oh yes, you do… just remember who we’ll be dealing with. He won’t wait for you, nor give you time to catch your breath. Are you sure you want to do this now?”

“I am, and I’m not going back” Ellie said as she jumped over a branch, landing on a puddle and wetting her sneakers, again. “Damn…”

“Come, Abby said holding her hand to her”

Ellie took it and felt her body being pulled up. Soon she was sitting behind her again.

“I’ll be fine when it’s needed”

“Sure”

“I will”

“Hey, I know!” Abby said looking back at her.

“Ok…”

After another long ride, Abby stopped the horse again.

“Look, red roof. OK, last check, how do you feel?”

“I’m ready”

“This is it then… Let’s go”


	14. “What a bitch”

The rest of the road was deserted too.

“Do you hear it?”

“What?” Ellie said trying to catch any sound.

“Exactly. Nothing at all, looks suspicious. Listen, before we continue… I have a plan, but it may sound stupid”

“Tell me”

Abby looked around, and even though they seemed to be the only living creatures in miles, she signaled Ellie to came closer so she can whisper something in her ear.

“Oh… I see. Doesn’t sound stupid at all”

“We just need to be strong, right? Let’s go then”

Ten minutes later they were reaching the end of that road.

“Let’s…” Ellie started to say but she was interrupted.

“GET HER!”

Three men jumped from the trees that were on each side of the road. One of them jumped right on top of them, making the horse fell to one side. The other guys took the chance to grab the girls. One of them smacked the horse and it ran away. Ellie looked at him go, hoping that he could find a safe spot or even return to Jackson.

“This was easier than we thought…” a red-haired man said, tying up Abby’s hands with a rope. Another did the same with Ellie.

Ellie looked at Abby and saw a triumphant look on her eyes. _“Right… they’re taking us right where we want to go…”_ she hid a smile and let them take her without much fight.

The men led them towards a little street on the left. The small establishment was surrounded by tall trees. The building with the red roof was the biggest around.

“Why don’t we have some fun before taking them to Monroe, eh guys?” the man who was leading Abby said as he looked at her from behind.

“I don’t know… he could find out”

“Don’t be a chicken, we’ll be quick”

“Ok… let’s go that way” he said taking a turn to go among the trees. They stopped when they were at some distance.

“This will do…” the red-haired man said looking around. “I’ll go first” he started to unzip his pants when the other guy stopped him with excessive force.

“Now wait a minute, why you first?”

“Why do you care? Just take the other one!”

“This one’s mine” said the other guy tugging at Ellie’s rope. Abby almost lost her temper at this, but kept it cool. _“Not yet…”_ she said to herself.

The guys were making such a racket, that they didn’t hear the infected that was following the sounds.

“Holy shit!” they guy holding Ellie yelled in a high-pitch voice avoiding the infected just in time and making her fell. The red-haired man killed the creature fast with an arrow.

“He, he, he…” Ellie laughed slowly from the ground.

“Something funny?” he said at her.

“Looks like you shit your pants”

The other guys laugh at this.

"The fuck you say?" he asked her getting angry.

“What a bitch” Ellie finished.

“Oh, you like funny huh?” he kicked her hard on her stomach, making her curl from the pain. “How’s that?” he said with a horrible smirk. Abby stared at him, remembering every feature since she couldn’t kill him right now.

“Enough!” said the red-haired man stopping him from hitting her again. Abby was a second away to do it herself.

“Let’s just go”

They grumpily walked the girls towards the main street again, Ellie almost fainted, but leaned back on the guy that was pushing her forward.

“Stop it!” he said and Abby looked back and saw Ellie looking pale. She bit her lip, holding herself seems like the hardest thing she had done. They finally arrived at an old house. Inside, they could smell a combination of smells. Food, smoke, dust, mold, and blood.

The room was downstairs. Ellie felt the nails of the man that was holding her tight. She couldn’t move her arms at all.

Screams. That voice sounded familiar, her heart was racing faster than ever.

“Open up! We’re here!”

The door opened to reveal a big room with the worst scenario possible.

There was a table next to the window and a couple of chairs. Joel was on the ground, bleeding.

“Joel! JOEL!” Ellie screamed and the guy next to her gagged her so she couldn’t make any more noise.

“So nice of you to join us. We were expecting you, weren’t we?” he said kicking Tommy, who was next to Joel. They were tied up, both of them looked really beaten up.

“Yes… yes… my two favorite girls finally in front of me” he said tightening the grip on the golf club he had in his hands.

Abby was speechless. Two men were holding her and one of them had a knife near her ribs. Twice she felt it piercing her flesh, only enough to make her bleed, but not deep enough to damage her.

“Nothing to say? You sure left your mark on me…” Monroe said touching his nose, it looked crooked and bruised.

“I’m gonna need your collaboration… see, I’ve learned that you’re interested in these gentlemen, yes?”

Ellie tried to get free, Abby looked absent.

“Yes?” Monroe yelled, lifting up the golf club and hitting Tommy hard on his leg, they all heard the bone crushing. A piercing scream filled the room.

“To… Tommy!” Joel said extending his hand, and Monroe lifted his golf club again.

“NO, wait! Wait!” Abby said taking him by surprise. Ellie stopped moving.

“Well… well… well… now this is interesting… do you have a special interest for this one?” Monroe put the tip of the club in Joel’s face, touching him softly and turning his head.

“Let’s finish this… What do you want?” Abby said shortly.

 ** _“Stupid girl… you don’t get to rush this_ ”** he said smiling wide and sending shivers through both Ellie and Abby’s bodies.

“See… I take things very personal, you know? And I don’t like when two stupid girls think they’ve outsmarted me. No… you were led straight to your trap. I’m kinda disappointed, you know? Thought you were gonna be harder to catch”

He walked around, changing the golf club from one hand to the other. The only sounds coming from Tommy, who was now trying to hold his yells of pain.

“You know… it’s been a while since the last time we had some girls to play with… it’s been boring around here. Right guys?”

At this, the men around them started to move and cheer. It was a disgusting view. Joel was working as fast and quietly as he could to cut the rope that was tying his hands. He was using a little piece of broken glass he’d found. Even though it seemed to be cutting more flesh than rope, he just kept going. He would die before letting this fucker hurt Ellie.

“Now… let me see… I think I wanna see… I wanna see…”

“BOOBS!” a guy screamed with his eyes looking wild.

“No… no… you see? This is why I don’t like to do this kind of stuff with you. You’re so basic, so limited. No… we’ll do it differently this time…” he passed a finger around his nose, sending signals of pain and pleasure throughout his body.

The man that yelled “boobs” didn’t seem to agree.

“Just one…” he said as he grabbed one of Abby’s breasts, and before he could expose it, he felt someone pulling him down.

“Stupid bastard… you got this coming” Monroe said as he dragged him to the center of the room. The other guys looked away.

He hit him hard with the golf club, first on the hand he used to grab Abby.

“Fuck you Monroe! You don’t…” but what Monroe doesn’t no one heard, because he hit him hard on the face, breaking his jaw.

He was still alive, the tongue exposed after losing big part of the jawbone.

“See? You knew what happens to those who don’t listen… right?” he said looking from him to the other hunters.

“Yes, sir” they all said, not in unison.

“Now… this could be a great starting point, just to get in the mood… you see?”

He looked from Abby to Ellie, “ _Eeny, meeny, miny, moe…”_ his finger pointing at Ellie. At this, Abby looked around, trying to find anything that could be useful if necessary.

“Come here… you’ll do the honors, right?”

Ellie was pushed by the guys behind, she looked at Joel, who nodded at her. His face showed sign of nothing else. Tommy had fainted.

“Come on! This should be fast” he said. Ellie walked passed them and Monroe took the cloth from her mouth, then turned her over to cut the ropes tying her hands. Ellie and Abby exchanged looks for a second. Somehow Ellie felt stronger now. She rubbed her now free hands.

“Don’t try anything stupid if you don’t want to finish like him”

“What do you want me to do?” Ellie said looking fiercely at him.

“Now, see? This is what I like! Isn’t that hard, right baby?” he said grinning like a child on Christmas morning.

“I want you to… finish him off”

He said giving her the golf club and extending his arm to let her pass. Ellie thought that this wasn’t so bad, considering what he tried to do. She hit him once, twice… five times.

“Well shit my pants! We have a treasure here!” he said taking the bloody club from Ellie’s hands “That was perfect…”

He walked around again, swinging the golf club with his right hand.

“Now… let’s see…”

“C’mon!” another man yelled from the back.

“You were not… that… stupid” Monroe said calmly and stopping.

“How long are you making us wait?”

The smile on Monroe’s face was sickening.

“Well yes… perfect timing” he walked passed Abby, smiling at her. Grabbed the man who had talked and then dragged him next to the guy he recently killed.

“You won’t be missed… stupid bastard” he said kicking him hard in the leg, breaking it. He quickly grabbed a cloth and put it in his mouth to muffle the screams.

“OK… now it’s your turn Missy…”

He said extending his hand to Abby, one of the men that was holding her cut the rope on her hands and pushed her towards him.

“What do you want to do? No… let’s make it more interesting… here, come” he grabbed her by the shoulders and smile wildly, he was really enjoying all of this.

“You will kill someone… yes… but you won’t know who”

Abby opened her eyes in surprise and suddenly felt something covering her face. She tried to take it off and only got to see how they dragged the muffled man next to Joel.

“You… walk”

Abby’s heart skipped a beat when she heard Ellie’s sneakers walking towards the wall, joining Tommy, Joel and the hunter.

“Ok, let’s begin, shall we?” Monroe said as he started to turn her around in circles. Then, he pushed her towards the rest of the guys, the three of the five that were left.

They pushed her around a couple of times, always trying to catch a breast or her butt.

“Ok, that’s enough. Now come… take this and imagine it’s me down there” he put the golf club in her hands.

He stepped back and put his hands together in front of his mouth, excitement at its maximum level.

Abby was feeling sick, she vomited.

“Damn girl! I thought you were tougher than this! Don’t make me give you an incentive… Begin. NOW.” This last word was pronounced in a deep voice.

Abby grabbed the golf club as tight as she could and hit hard, then again… she did it until she got tired and stopped. Her mind was completely blank. She felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Nice job, kiddo…” Monroe took the club from her hands and the bag from her head. She had her eyes closed and opened them slowly.


	15. “Something to fight for”

Lying on the floor in a puddle of blood was what was left of the man that had defied Monroe. Abby sighed with relief.

“We’re just getting started… and you did it with flying colors” he said like a proud teacher.

The three men exchanged some looks, clearly they weren’t happy. Monroe was famous for taking his time and being especially vicious, and now they wouldn’t dare to say anything about it.

Monroe looked around. He knew he was superior and that they were all at his mercy. This pleased him.

“Here… have some water. Go on… _JUST DRINK THE FUCKING WATER_ ” he yelled at Abby when she didn’t move. Abby complied. “See? I can be gracious too” he said grinning.

“Now, let me see… what I want now…”

He looked at both girls from head to toes, then at Joel and Tommy, but disregarded them.

“Mmm… yes… I know” he grabbed Ellie’s arm and pushed her to the farthest side of the room. Then he did the same with Abby. They looked at each other for a second, and that was enough for Monroe’s sick mind.

“Kiss her” he said to Abby. This time he wasn’t smiling, which made him look even more dangerous.

Abby looked at Ellie, who blinked in surprise but then closed her eyes.

“C’mon! You took less time killing that bastard! Do it. And do it right!”

Abby gulped and licked her lips. She took Ellie’s arms and slowly stroked her with the hand she knew he couldn’t see. This seemed to relax them, if only for a bit. She pressed her lips on Ellie’s. And then slowly gave her what looked like the perfect kiss.

“Yes!” Monroe yelled when they separated.

Ellie looked at Joel, but he was looking the other way. And nobody saw how he finally cut the rope tying his hands.

“You guys!! That was perfect!” he said clapping. “Again”.

Nobody moved.

“ _AGAIN_!” he yelled.

Abby looked at Ellie and kissed her again. Joel was the only one who saw what happened next.

Monroe didn’t see what hit him. The three men were kicking and punching every inch of his body, tired of him and eager to be free to do what they wanted. They had guns, but the look on their faces was proof that they had wanted this for a long time.

Joel moved as fast as his beaten body let him. He grabbed Tommy by the waist but fell with him. Abby and Ellie were already next to him and they helped him. Together, they carried Tommy, seizing the opportunity. They were reaching the top of the stairs when they heard a gunshot. One of the men came running towards them, he was covered in blood and looked wild, the knife he had on his hand was dripping red.

“Where d’ya think y’all going?”

Ellie kicked him on the face and he fell backwards, hitting his head on the last step.

“Hurry!” Abby said as they carried Joel and Tommy outside. “We need a ride” she said looking around.

“They keep trucks inside that building” Joel said pointing to the building on the right.

“GET ‘EM!” yelled one of the two guys that were behind them.

Abby dodged the attack and then hit him hard. She strangled him and as she dropped him on the ground, she saw how Ellie threw a brick right into the head of the other guy. He was stumbling when she kicked him, Abby took his gun and shot him quickly in the head.

“JOEL!” Ellie said throwing her arms around him. There was a trickle of blood on her face and he cleaned it with his hand.

“You did well…”

“Joel… I…” she said looking into his eyes.

“Hey, it’s ok” he smiled at her.

She started crying and hugged him tight, making him grimace. His strong arms surrounded her and she felt calm, safe.

“I’m sorry to interrupt, but we should get going…” Abby said rather uncomfortable.

“That’s true. I’ll wait here, in this state I’ll only slow you down” Ellie was going to say something, but he just said “you got this”.

“Alright… you better take this” she said giving him the handgun she took from the dead hunter. “Just don’t go anywhere, k?” she said nervous, wringing her hands.

“Wait a sec… I wanna go check if that fucker is dead. I need to see it” Abby said picking up a broken pipe she found and swinging it to test it.

“Don’t go alone” Joel said looking at her and then at Ellie, who joined a tensed Abby.

They entered the house again, this time paying attention to the slightest sound. There was a trail of fresh blood coming from the room downstairs that wasn’t there before.

“Shit” Ellie said looking at Abby.

“Let me go first” she didn’t wait for an answer and moved past Ellie, avoiding the dead guy at the bottom. The open door revealed nothing.

“Where is he?” Abby said looking at the big blood stain that could be seen where they last saw Monroe being beaten by his own group.

“Let’s go back, he could be outside…” Ellie said with his heart beating fast.

They hurried off. Joel looked weak. There were three other exits in the house, and Abby checked them all, with no luck.

“Did you see anything?” Ellie asked Joel as they looked around.

“Nothing… I may have dozed out for a sec” he said grimacing.

“Are you hurt?” Ellie asked worried, coming closer and looking at him.

“Not as much as Tommy” he said looking defeated. “We don’t have much time, he’s bleeding”

Ellie looked at Tommy and could see how blood was pouring slowly, but steadily, from his shattered leg. Abby kneeled next to him and torn out another piece of her t-shirt, which she used as a tourniquet.

“That t-shirt has been very useful” Ellie said remembering how she had that same fabric around her arm, not long ago.

“Well… I never thought I would be using it for this” Abby said with full honesty as she carefully left Tommy’s leg more stable. And it was true, if someone had told her that she would be helping Joel Miller and his brother Tommy like this she would have smacked that person right then and there. But things changed…

“Ok, we’ll be back as soon as possible” Ellie said anxious.

“Just go” he said smiling appreciatively.

The building was a couple of blocks away. Abby walked towards it and Ellie followed, with a last look at Joel, who now had his eyes closed.

They entered the building and found half a dozen vehicles.

“Ok, let’s do this quick. I’ll check this side and you take the other one” Abby said opening the door of a blue car. It didn’t start.

“I think this one’s it!” Ellie said turning the key for a second time, the engine starting with a loud noise.

“Ok, let’s go” Abby said sitting next to her.

When they exited the building and turned to go pick up Joel and Tommy, they heard a gunshot and saw Joel fighting off an infected, and another one was slowly approaching from the far end of the street.

“Shit! Joel!” Ellie said stepping on the gas and reaching full speed.

They climbed down as fast as they could. Abby took care of the infected that was on the street and Ellie went to help Joel. She got just in time to take the creature out of his arms. He could barely hold them up and dropped them as soon as Ellie helped him.

“Are you ok?”

“I think so… I’m afraid I ain’t in my best shape”

“That was close”

“Yeah…”

“Where did it come from?” Ellie said looking around.

“I don’t know, I passed out for a minute, then I heard a brick falling near me… when I turned to look I saw a runner coming right at us” he looked to the right and there it was, a broken brick.

“It’s bloodstained” Abby said after examining it with a frown and searching for any other lead. But there was nothing.

“Monroe…” Ellie said looking around and walking towards the house again, with the intention of looking for him.

“Ellie… he’s gone” Joel said.

“You don’t know that… he could be near. He must be badly injured… I bet we can find him and…” She felt a hand on her shoulder.

“Tommy is stable, but we really don’t have much time. Let’s go back” Abby said feeling strange. Ellie just nodded and helped Joel stand, so careful and with such love that Abby knew that after this, it would be really difficult to fulfill her revenge, if not impossible.

Joel stumbled and Ellie didn’t seem strong enough, so she joined them, put an arm around his waist and, together, they helped him sit in the back. They did the same with Tommy.

“Let me drive” Abby said holding Ellie’s hand when she was about to open the driver’s door. Ellie took a second to react, the touch of their hands sending electric signals to her body. And she thought that Abby felt something similar, by the look on her face. Their eyes met and both looked away fast.

The silent drive back was interrupted by Joel, who mumbled something and then cursed low.

“What is it?” Ellie said looking back at him.

“We need to stop”

“What are you saying?”

Joel was silent and serious. Abby stopped the vehicle. Ellie jumped out and opened Joel’s door, he looked even paler than before.

“Joel… what is it?”

“Ellie… I’m sorry” he said as he slowly lifted his t-shirt. A bite-mark was clearly visible on his left side.

Ellie was in shock. She didn’t say nor do anything, just stood there looking at it.

“Hey… it’s ok” he said trying to find the right words to calm her. He felt strangely at ease with his fate.

“But… but we can… I mean… we can…”

“Stop. My luck had to ran out sooner or later, and you have to agree that this was way later than I thought it would be” Joel said with a faint smile.

“What if you’re immune?” Ellie whispered feeling optimistic, but Joel just chuckled.

“That would be something, right? Ellie, let me do it my way… I’m not gonna turn into one of those things”

“It’s my fault” Ellie said crestfallen.

“Don’t. It could have happened anytime. Don’t you ever think this was your fault”

“If you hadn’t met me…”

“I would have died a sad bastard. Ellie, listen to me” Ellie looked at his serious, but loving face.

“What I did… There’s a lot of things I regret, but meeting you will never be on that list”

“We don’t have to do this now… we have time!”

“Ellie, please. Don’t”

“But…”

“But nothing. I’m lucky I got to hug you for the last time. You know that’s not the usual case”

“Joel… I can’t… I won’t”

“Ellie. Baby girl… No matter what, you keep finding something to fight for. Make every shot count. You got this.”

Ellie sobbed in his arms. “I’m so proud of you” he said hugging her tight.

Abby was looking at this from afar, she had stepped out of the car and was looking around for any threat. So… Joel was infected. He was surely going to die. Then why was she feeling so strange? She had dreamed with the day she found him, she wanted to kill him like Monroe made her kill that hunter. And then she felt sick… after all that, she wouldn’t do it. She wouldn’t turn into someone like that. A flashback of her father crossed her mind for a second, making her feel more confused, and guilty. She shook her head and made a decision.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry... 😔  
> I tried, but couldn't force it.


	16. “Endure and survive”

“Ellie… can I talk to you?” she said to her and she saw gratitude in Joel’s eyes.

“Tell me” Ellie said when they were a bit apart, keeping Joel in sight.

“Ellie… I’m so sorry. I…”

“It’s not fair!”

“This world is not fair” Abby said feeling every word.

“What can I do… what should I do?”

“Let me do it”

“What?”

“You don’t have to do this, you shouldn’t. I don’t know him very much, but I see that he loves you. And you love him. Let me help” Abby knew that this was true. She honestly wanted to help her.

Ellie bit her lip and walked in circles, until she saw Joel signaling her to come closer.

“Ellie… don’t do what you do, don’t question this, please”

“But Joel, we have time! We could…”

“What? Say goodbye to the others? I already said goodbye to Tommy, as soon as we were caught we knew there was a small chance to get out alive. Don’t worry about me, worry about yourself. And the people you love”

“I love **_YOU_** ” Ellie said with a cry.

“Me too. You were the best that happened in my life after…” he looked down and gulped “I’ll make sure to say that to Tess if I see her around”, he smiled with his eyes filled with tears and Ellie felt helpless and heartbroken.

“Now, you remember what I said…” he said to her, slowly standing up and taking her face in his hands. “Come here” he said hugging her.

They stood there for a full minute. Finishing that hug was more painful than all of the hits they had received.

“I struggled for a long time with survivin’” he said taking off his broken watch and putting it on Ellie’s wrist, “Endure and survive” he said looking at green eyes that shone with that phrase.

Joel looked at Abby, who felt a rush of adrenaline and then she nodded. He was ready. And Abby tried to find the right words to say to the person that had caused her so much pain. 

She quietly checked the ammo on the gun she had in her hands. Three bullets in the cylinder.

Joel kissed Ellie’s forehead. He gave a last look at Tommy and then kneeled next to the car. Ellie turned away, still unable to move.

“Go on” Abby said to her in a soft voice. She noticed her whole body tensed, and still she didn’t move. Abby took her hand and walked a couple of steps with her, then she let go and gave her a soft push on the back. Ellie started to walk, sobbing uncontrollably.

Once she was out of earshot, Abby looked at Joel, he was kneeling next to the car.

“Thank y…”

“Don’t thank me just yet…” Abby said trying to control herself. “I guess you don’t know who I am”

“Should I?”

Abby frowned and looked at him. His old and beaten body was starting to show the weakness after the bite.

“Jerry Anderson. He was my father… he was going to find the cure, but you killed him” her voice broke and she fell to her knees.

Joel was silent and looked hurt, he shook his head.

“You…” Abby started to say, but she was interrupted.

“I would have died for her. And I can see that you will protect her too…”

Abby was speechless. She never expected this. And the worst part is that it was true. She closed her eyes and saw her father dead on the floor, Owen’s arms holding her.

Ellie dared to look back for a second, thinking that even if she saw it, she just needed one more look at him. But she was shocked to see Abby crying on her knees in front of Joel, who looked sad. She turned again and kept walking, she could feel her heart beating in her throat.

Abby wanted to say something that hurt him, what? That she wouldn’t protect Ellie? That wasn’t true. Time was running out, but Joel didn’t rush her.

“I’m sorry” he said.

Abby stood up, pointed the revolver at him and then pulled the hammer back.

“I will” she said shortly. “I will protect her”. Joel smiled, closed his eyes and she pulled the trigger.

Ellie burst into tears and kneeled on the ground, unable to give another step.

Abby looked at the sky, the gun felt heavy on her hand and she dropped it, closing her eyes… “Good-bye dad…”

With her face wet from the tears, she cleaned Joel’s face with a piece of fabric she took from her pocket and carried him to the back seat, covering his face. Tommy’s chest was going up and down faster than before.

She dried her face and started the engine again. She could see Ellie kneeled at one side of the road and stopped next to her. Ellie didn’t look at anything when she entered. She just put her face in her hands and kept crying. Abby stepped on the gas and headed towards Jackson.

They got there right when the lights were starting to turn on. When the gate opened they saw a group of patrollers ready to go out.

“Ellie!” Maria said approaching the vehicle as soon as they entered. The gate already closed behind them, and extra protection that must have been added during their absence.

“Tommy needs urgent care” Abby said to Maria when Ellie failed to speak. Maria covered her mouth with her hands when she saw the back seat. Abby climbed down and opened the door to let the guys help Tommy. Then she went around and opened the other door.

“What… how?” Maria said looking at the body that had its face covered.

“He was bitten” Abby said low. Ellie was still inside the car.

“Oh my god…”

Abby saw how the men put away their gear and walked towards them.

“Where they going somewhere?” Abby asked not interested at all.

“We were going to get you. Finding people willing to go took us longer that I expected, but Jesse didn’t stop asking, he went crazy when Ellie’s horse arrived alone”

Abby looked how she walked towards Tommy. The Doc arrived and Maria went to join them as they took Tommy out.

“We need to treat him, fast” the Doc said looking at the guys that were carrying him, trying to move as little as possible.

Abby suddenly felt like an intruder. Her eyes darted towards Ellie, who was still in the car. She stood on the other side of the door, looking through the glass. Ellie looked at her, she was no longer crying, but her face showed no emotion whatsoever.

Abby put her hand on the door and waited. Ellie sighed and opened it, her legs failed her and Abby grabbed her before falling. She looked weak, so weak. Without looking at anything else she took her into her arms. Ellie didn’t argue.

“Where’s your room?” Abby asked Ellie as she started to walk, ignoring everyone else.

“At the end of Rancher Street…” she got to say before succumbing to exhaustion.

Abby looked for the name of the street, and before she had to ask someone, Dina came running towards them. She blanched for a second at the sight behind Abby and Ellie, but quickly regained control.

“Hey!” she said to Abby as she got to her side and looked at Ellie. “D’you need help?”

“I’m ok. Where’s Rancher Street?”

“I’ll take you”

Abby followed Dina in silence, and she was thankful that she didn’t ask any more questions. After all that happened, she didn’t want to talk to anyone.

They finally got to the house, but instead of going inside, Dina turned left, towards the garage. She opened the door to reveal Ellie’s room. Abby put her in the bed, as slowly and careful as she could. Dina didn’t say a word, but she looked at her every move.

“Any news on Owen?” Abby asked her once Ellie was comfortable.

“He woke up, but only for a minute, then lost consciousness again”

“That doesn’t sound good”

“The Doc says we need to wait”

Abby looked exhausted.

“Stay here, with her” Dina said starting to arrange the sofa.

“Don’t worry… I…”

“She’ll need you”

Abby couldn’t think nor say anything against that. During the time she took to think of an answer, Dina prepared her a comfortable bed on the sofa. She patted it and smiled at her.

“Thank you”

“I’ll bring you some food later” she said to her and, with a last look at Ellie, she left them rest.

Abby couldn’t close her eyes. As soon as she did, she saw her father, then Joel, then Ellie, and finally Monroe. So many things have happened in so little time, she was finding it hard to process everything.

Ellie turned in her bed, trembling. Abby got to her and covered her with another blanket. It was cold. She looked at the wooden stove and kneeled in front of it, her body aching from the effort now that the danger was gone.

Everything was tidy and clean, so it was easy to find the necessary items to start the fire. Paper, kindling, logs. Her mind was busy with the task at hand. It was better this way.

Ellie woke up with a start, looked around confused and then saw Abby next to the stove. Their eyes met from across the room.

“I’m sorry” Abby said, breaking the silence. Ellie didn’t answer, she just sit and looked at her dirty hands. She stood up and went to the sink to wash them.

Abby walked towards the bookshelf and read the titles. She noticed the videogames next to the TV and shook her head.

“What?” Ellie said suddenly behind her.

“You like videogames?”

“It was a nice way to pass the time” she said with a sigh.

“Dina is bringing some food later”

“I’m not hungry”

“I didn’t ask you that” Abby said feeling over-protective. She stood with her back to her.

“You can’t force me” Ellie said defensive.

“I won’t” a fast and hurtful flashback crossed her mind and she looked away… the stolen first kiss.

Ellie noticed the change in her stance, and she put her hands on her back, resting her forehead between her shoulders.

“Thank you”

Abby relaxed and turned, she took Ellie’s hands between her own.

“Ellie, I’m so sorry… what happened back there… I’m…”

“You didn’t have a choice…”

“It was a bad plan from the beginning… we should’ve killed them before” Abby said feeling angry with herself, her fists closed and tensed again.

“You did great. I’m glad it was you standing there with me…” she said blushing involuntarily, and feeling guilty about it. She suddenly remembered seeing her crying next to Joel, why would her mind punish her with such an image? Still, sadness was replaced by love.

Without thinking about anything else, she hugged her again, this time she felt her arms surrounding her. They relaxed at the same time, the emotional baggage was too much to overcome so fast, but at least they had each other, and Ellie knew that there was no other place she would rather be, no other person she would rather hug.

The knock on the door startled them and it was followed by Dina opening it. She saw them separating and smiled to herself, she hadn’t been wrong, and Ellie did seem better, if only a little.

“Hi there… brought you something to nibble” Dina said as she left a saucepan on top of the kitchen. “You know you can ask anything you need”, she said with a hand on her shoulder.

“Thanks Dina” Ellie said coming closer and smiling faintly at her. Dina nod at Abby and gave a last look at Ellie, then she left the room.

Abby felt dizzy and lost her balance for a second, finally the emotions of the day took over and she felt really tired. Ellie moved her towards her bed and helped her lie down.

“Wait… don’t… I’m gonna sleep over there” Abby said trying to walk towards the sofa, but Ellie wouldn’t let her.

“You can stay here, I don’t move too much… and I could use the company”

Abby didn’t know what to say, so she just moved to the side. Ellie sighed and lay down next to her.


	17. “I’ll heal”

They were side by side, staring at the ceiling.

“How’s your shoulder?” Abby said looking up.

“I’ll heal” Ellie said also looking up and putting a hand over her wound. “Yours?” she added looking sideways.

“Perfect” she answered and noticed Ellie’s eyes on her.

Ellie looked back at the ceiling. Her mind sending endless images as soon as she stopped talking.

“Abby… Abigail?”

“Umm, yes, but don’t” Abby replied

“Sorry”

“Don’t. If anything, it could be just 'Abs'”

“Abs… mmm… I don’t know”

Abby chuckled, for the first time since what felt like forever.

Silence again, but not for long, Ellie’s stomach made a sound that broke it.

Abby stretched and slowly stood up. She walked towards the sink and washed her hands, then took the lid off the saucepan and the smell of warm food filled the room.

Ellie looked at Abby moving around her place. She saw her taking a plate, a napkin, burned her hand with the saucepan and cursed low. She found herself smiling at the sight.

Abby served a portion and grabbed a bite, she looked sideways at Ellie, who was sitting on the bed, staring.

“D’you want some?” Abby said holding the plate and standing casual, hoping that this would be a better way to whet her appetite. It worked.

Ellie shook her head, smiling. The smell made her stood up. She looked at Abby inching the plate towards he and ate a little, enjoying the explosion of flavors in her mouth. She relished it, and Abby looked satisfied at this.

“I think I’ll have a quick shower” Ellie said grabbing a towel from her closet.

“Sure” Abby said with a smile.

“Please feel at home” she said and closed the door behind her.

Abby looked around at Ellie’s decorations, the books (or magazines) she had, the pictures she had on top of her bed showed different people, and some interesting drawings. She looked away, holding her arms. She could hear the water running.

Ellie let the water ran down her weakened body. It felt good. Her mind was blank, until it filled with a quick succession of memories. She let them. The pain washing away among her tears. She rubbed her face with her hands, and touched her lips with her fingertips.

Abby looked at the plate with food, it looked delicious and she managed to eat a bite, but couldn’t continue. She left it next to the saucepan. The dishes were clean and everything was in order. She thought about her own place, and Manny’s disorder. That was it, she dropped to the floor and cried her heart out. Manny, Mel... she had lost them, and Owen may not recover.

Ellie was drying her hair with a towel and stopped when she thought she heard crying. And then she saw it one more time. Abby crying in front of Joel. It could mean anything, he saved her, she was grateful, and she was suffering. “ _My dad was killed a few years back_ ”. There’s so many ways he could’ve been killed. Her mind started racing again, so many deaths, so much suffering. She shook her head and sighed.

Abby had stopped crying and stood up, the water was no longer running and she wondered if Ellie had heard her.

Ellie looked at herself in the mirror and flinched when she touched the flesh around her wound. She used a clean bandage to cover it and dressed quickly. Clean clothes felt so good. When she left the bathroom she saw Abby looking at her posters.

She went to the kitchen and grabbed a bite, suddenly feeling hungry again.

“You didn’t eat much”

Abby turned and saw Ellie grabbing a second bite.

“I will” she said smiling at her.

“Bathroom’s ready if you want to go” Ellie said pointing at it.

“That sounds nice, thanks” she took off her jacket and walked towards the open door.

“Wait” Ellie said giving her a couple of towels.

“Thank you”

Abby closed the door and wondered if she would be able to shower properly, her whole body was aching. Half an hour later she reappeared with her long hair loose behind her back and a towel covering her body. Ellie was putting another log on the stove when she turned, Abby looked stunning.

“You can use those if you want” Ellie said turning quickly to hide the furious blush that covered her face.

Abby saw a change of clothes and felt really grateful. They were a bit tight, but comfortable, and clean. She dressed up as quickly as she could.

Ellie served two plates, giving one to Abby and sitting on the couch. Abby sat next to her and they ate in silence, each fighting their own personal demons. They finished very quickly, and before Abby could do anything else, Ellie stood up and took the plate from her hands. She washed their things and Abby found a new admiration for her.

“I think now I’m done, you?”

“Yeah” Abby said looking at the couch she was in and starting to accommodate the pillows.

She looked sideways at Ellie, noticing how she was wringing her hands, something she had seen her done in situations where she felt anxious. Why was she anxious now?

“You can sleep here, that couch isn’t as comfy as it looks…” Ellie said and quickly added “I mean, only if you want to”

Abby got her answer, and walked decisively towards the bed.

“Which side is yours?” she said and Ellie smiled.

“I don’t know, I’ve never shared my bed before” she snorted.

“Confessions!” Abby said with a smile of complicity.

“You’re crazy” Ellie said also smiling. She sat on the bed and Abby noticed the bandage.

“Can I see it?” she said tucking her hair behind her ear.

Ellie nodded, feeling nervous again. Her mind finally granting her some rest from the suffering.

Abby leaned closer to her and looked at Ellie’s work.

“For such a good healer, this is very poor”

“Hey! It’s in an odd position!”

“Yeah… odd” Abby snickered. She looked over Ellie’s shoulder to check the other side, her hair touched Ellie’s naked skin and she saw how she got goose bumps.

“Are you cold?” Abby asked as she carefully tightened the gauze, her fingers slowly touching the tender skin around the wound.

“Not really” Ellie said looking away.

Abby looked from the wound to her face.

“Does it hurt?” she said trying to catch any sign of pain.

“Yes… no, a bit” Ellie said releasing the air she had been holding. She looked at Abby, she was so close that she could see every feature. She was beautiful.

“This should do” Abby said with a final look at her work and putting a lock of hair behind her ear. She looked at Ellie, and they found themselves trapped in each other’s eyes, neither wanting to move first.

Right now they were all that there was in the world. Without breaking eye contact, Ellie moved her hand towards her wound, but Abby stopped her.

“Don’t” she didn’t let go of it.

Now they were really close, and it was Ellie who slowly started to shorten the distance. Abby felt her skin burning, she saw Ellie slowly closing her eyes and she did the same.

Ellie felt Abby’s other hand in her face and they made forehead-on-forehead contact. They stood like that for a couple of seconds, and then it was Ellie’s hand that caressed Abby’s face, then her neck, shoulder, arm… Abby was startled at first, but then she let herself go with this intensity. She was feeling something she never thought she would feel again, only this time it was different. When Ellie reached her hand, Abby turned it over and started her own path of caress. Hand, arm, shoulder (very carefully), neck, face. Ellie felt the need for more and took Abby’s face between her hands.

Abby had her eyes closed. Suddenly the world went silent, for both of them. Ellie’s lips were soft, and Abby found a new kind of shelter in a kiss that was only theirs this time, a kiss that turned seconds into minutes.

Their touching was tender, and when they separated, they stared at each other, a smile crossing their blushing faces.

“That was…”

“A perfect first kiss” Abby said standing up with a grin.

Ellie touched her lips as she saw her going around to her side, and then struggle to arrange her hair with both hands. She chuckled at the sight of this personal battle and how it was lost.

“Here, use this” she said grabbing a hair tie from her bedside table.

“Thanks, this is why I don’t like wearing my hair loose” Abby said tying up her hair.

The bed was really comfortable, and they were awake only because their minds were so active. If this was a videogame, their health bars would look yellow, going to red.

Abby turned to look at Ellie and smiled at her. She tucked Ellie’s hair behind her ear, and they hugged, intertwining their legs.

“This feels good” Ellie said in a whisper.

“It does” Abby responded and leaned to accept Ellie’s lips again.

The only light was coming from the burning logs, and their silhouettes got lost in the darkness of the night.

_The next morning_

Abby woke up with a start. She was alone and it took her a couple of seconds to recognize where she was. And as soon as she did she blushed. Ellie wasn’t around, and she stood up slowly, her muscles aching all over. She heard a door closing and then Ellie showed up.

“Hi” she said.

“Hey”

“Were you having a bad dream?”

“Was I talking?”

“You were grinding your teeth”

Abby had a horrible flashback, and Ellie noticed.

“Hey… you ok?”

“Yeah… it’s nothing”

“I have to go see Maria” Ellie said putting on her jacket.

“I wanna go check on Owen” Abby said suddenly feeling guilty for a second.

“We’ll go together then, it’s on the way” Ellie said looking at her.

When Abby walked past her, she felt really shy, but then she looked at her and couldn't help but smile.

Ellie waited there, also smiling. But her happiness didn’t last long, she sighed when she thought about the day that was waiting ahead.

“Ready?” Abby said behind her back, closing the zipper of her jacket.

Ellie turned and gave her a short kiss on the cheek.

“Now I am” she said opening the door and leaving Abby speechless.

It was cloudy outside, and people where just starting to begin their daily chores. They walked together until they reached the Doc’s tent.

“D’you want me to accompany you?”

“No, it´s ok. You have other things to do” Abby said turning to look at her. “Do _you_ want me to accompany you?”

“Not now… I think I need to do this alone. But I’ll find you later, or you’ll find me” she said with a faint smile.

Abby saw her walking away and then she entered the tent. It was warm inside, and she could hear someone walking on the back.

“Hello?”

“Yes?” the Doc appeared from behind one of the curtains.

“Hi, good morning… I’m…”

“You want to see your friend” the Doc said with a friendly voice, and a smile that didn’t reach her eyes.

“Yes”

“Come, this way” she motioned her to follow.

When Abby got to Owen’s bed she blanched. He looked as someone that was at death’s doors.

“Will he ever wake up?”

“I’m sorry, my dear. I don’t want to give you any false hope, the damage is too severe…”

“What happened to him?” she said clenching her hands on the bed rail.

“I can’t tell you that… he’s still my patient”

Abby glared at her and the Doc felt a shiver.

“I need to know” Abby said firm.

The Doc read her body language and knew that it was best to go along.

“I know you think you need it, but it will only cause you pain. Still, it’s your choice”

“Tell me, please” she said trying to soften a bit. The Doc left the room and reappeared with a patient’s chart. She scanned it and gave it to Abby with a sad face.

“I’ll be in my office. Come see me when you’re done”

Abby sat on the chair that was next to the bed and started reading.


	18. “You can say good-bye”

Abby couldn’t speak, although this was something she was already prepared for, reading it was unbearable. Her body was trembling, each line was harder to read than the last, and the note at the end made it all worse.

_“Wounds were inflicted with the subject awake. They were done using rusty instruments”_

She thought it would be a good idea to know in full detail what had happened to Owen, but she had been wrong, completely wrong.

Or not… her fast mind was finding excuses and reasons… She was getting obsessed with a plan. It was a bad one, probably the worst she’d ever had. And yet, it seemed perfect, necessary.

She felt restless, uneasy, broken. And above all, unable to overcome the feeling of defeat. She had worked so hard, she was so ready to do it, and at the end it was all for nothing. She had lost everything…

Her blood started to boil when she thought about the responsible for all of this.

Ellie walked towards Maria’s place, trying not to think too much about what she wanted to know. She found her just when she was about to leave.

“Hi there”

“Ellie… hi” Maria closed her door and came closer to her.

“How’s Tommy?” Ellie asked fast.

“He’s… he’ll live” Maria said looking away. “By the way, thank you. The Doc said the tourniquet made the difference”

“Then you’ll have to thank Abby” Ellie said blushing involuntarily.

“Oh? I’ll remember that” Maria said with a quick glance at Ellie. “How are you doing?” she asked in a soft voice.

“I’ve been better…” Ellie looked at her hands, and Maria noticed she looked anxious.

“Listen, you don’t need to worry about anything. The funeral is set for this afternoon”

“I don’t think I can…”

“I know. I know”

“Maria, I need a new task, anything that could make me work and not think that much…”

“I guess I have something for you, but would you come with me first? I need to give the orders of the day, and then…”

“And then?”

Maria looked nervous and absent-minded.

“Maria, what is it?” Ellie asked as they got near the gate.

Maria didn’t answer and started talking with the guys around, giving their orders more quickly than usual. Jesse was grabbing his head in frustration and she put a hand on his shoulder. He looked at Ellie and hugged her tight, and then left without another word. Maria sighed and motioned Ellie to follow.

“Maria…?”

“You remember the scouting groups, right? Remember what they were looking for?”

Ellie stopped and Maria looked at her.

“Shit… then what about…?”

“We’ll be fine for now”

“Until we’re under attack”

“Yeah, let’s not worry about that for now. I mean, what are the odds, right?”

“In this world, too many” Ellie said sighing.

“I haven’t told Tommy yet” Maria said biting her lip and looking exhausted. “Would you… I mean…”

“Yeah. I’ll go with you” Ellie said feeling braver, and stronger.

Maria cracked a faint smile and they walked the rest of the path in silence.

Abby was still unable to leave the chart, she kept reading it over and over again, until she couldn’t stand it anymore. She had thought that she deserved that pain, a pain that wasn’t even hers. A pain she hadn’t endure, but instead was inflicted on her loved ones. What was the point then? Why all this suffering, if she wasn’t even able to do what she intended to do? What the others wanted to help her do, the reason why she won’t be able to talk to them ever again…

She dropped the chart on the chair and covered her face with her hands. The sickening details were heartbreaking.

_Broken ribs, cracked skull, broken bones, arm violently dismembered…_

The list was long and she dried her tears. Sadness being replaced by fury. She could see Monroe and his men doing that.

She thought about Mel, did they make her watch? What was the last she saw? Did she suffer? All of the anger she thought gone was returning in full.

It was too much to assimilate and move on. She took the chart and went to the Doc´s office.

“Is there anything I can do for him?” she said with a low voice, leaving the chart upside down.

“You can say good-bye” the Doc said standing up and looking at her.

Abby felt that last word as a dagger through her heart. Thousands of images of Owen crossed her mind, and she covered her face with her hands in an innocent attempt to stop them.

“Stay here all you want, we have time” she put a hand on her shoulder and left her alone.

Abby’s sadness was once again turning into anger. She felt the urgency to do something, to leave that place and ride away… where to? Seattle? Her head was starting to ache when she heard a moan coming from the aisle.

“Shh… shh… easy, easy”

“Wha… What?”

“You’re safe, Tommy”

“Joel… where’s Joel?”

“Tommy, Tommy?”

Abby was standing on the door and saw the Doc moving around and taking one thing after the other.

“D’you need help?” she said coming closer. Tommy looked stable, but his expression was of extreme pain.

“Could you hold him a little?”

“Sure” she said holding Tommy.

“Joel… where’s Joel?”

“Tommy, you need to rest”

“I’m ok” he said grimacing and looking around. He spotted Abby.

“You! D’you know where Joel is?”

Abby saw the Doc signaling to be quiet.

The Doc injected something in the serum and Tommy slowly calmed and closed his eyes.

“Why haven’t you told him?”

“It’s not my place. This is the second time he wakes up, but I need him quiet. I’m almost certain that he has an internal bleeding that I can’t treat. I just hope he can. You read your friend’s chart, and he was with them for a short period of time…” the Doc said somber. Abby blanched. Tommy and Joel must’ve suffered other kinds of torture. She accommodated the pillows and checked the bandages.

The Doc looked appreciatively how Abby moved around her patient, she seemed like the perfect assistant. The entrance door opened and Maria came in, followed by Ellie.

“Hi Doc, any improvement?”

“I had to give him a bit of sedative. Maria, you need to tell him, he should wake up soon”

“I know”

“If he moves too much…”

“I know”

They were all looking at him resting. He looked calm, but then his brow furrowed and he moaned.

“Tommy…” Maria said holding his hand and looking at his beaten body. “Abby, thank you. Ellie told me you did the tourniquet” she said looking at her.

“Oh, yes, it was nothing” Abby answered a little embarrassed.

“Nothing? That was perfect, and as I said to Maria, it really made the difference for him” the Doc said with a new admiration for Abby.

“Thanks”

“I could use someone like you here. You seem to have what it takes to work with injuries”

“Appreciate it, but I don’t think I could do it. I spent most of my childhood in hospitals, not a big fan of the environment” Abby said with a hand on her neck.

“Were you sick?”

“No, my father was a doctor”

“Oh! What was his specialty?”

“He was a surgeon” Abby said looking to the side, she wasn’t feeling comfortable talking about her Dad in front of them.

“A surgeon! What would I give to find one today… What was his name?”

“Jerry Anderson” his name escaped from Abby’s smiling lips before she could think it through. Every memory of her father was filled with joy and pride. Every one of them except for the last one. Fury again. Her expression went from happiness to anger in less than a second, and she started to tighten her braid to hide it.

Maria stopped caressing Tommy’s face and turned.

“Anderson?”

Abby nodded, suddenly feeling very exposed and becoming defensive.

“What…?” the Doc started to say but was interrupted by Tommy, who decided to wake up in that precise moment.

“Tommy?” Maria said and they all looked at him.

“Where’s Joel?” he said to her and looked around, grimacing.

“Tommy… he didn’t make it”

“What?”

“He’s gone. I’m so sorry”

“No… no, you’re wrong. He can’t be…”

“Tommy”

“JOEL!” Tommy shouted from the top of his lungs, making everyone feel heartbroken.

Tommy started to shake, trying to get up. They were all holding him to the bed, but he was strong, even in his current state.

“Doc!” Maria yelled and the Doc nodded, she started to inject a sedative in the serum.

Once he was sleeping again, they left him with Maria, who was slowly stroking his hair.

Ellie and Abby exchanged looks and Abby excused herself and left the place. Her heart was beating fast, she had been really dumb back there. Why didn’t she give another name? What if Maria knew? After all, Tommy had been a firefly for a long time… and Joel was his brother, and he must’ve told him…

Her mind was putting together the worst scenarios. She saw Ellie walking towards her.

“Hey”

“Hi”

“Is there a place around here to be alone and just think?” she said.

“That sounds nice… d’you mind if I go with you?” Ellie said feeling shy.

“I was counting on that” Abby smiled at her.

They saw people gathering and Ellie felt a twinge of nervousness when she thought about the reason. She got a glimpse of Dina and Jesse hugging among the attendees.

“Can we go, now?” Ellie said to Abby.

“Just lead the way” she said and they left quickly, before anyone spotted them.

They walked towards the farthest end. The crops were looking lonely, most of the people were in Joel’s funeral.

Abby looked at Ellie, thinking that she wouldn’t want to be at Owen’s funeral either. And then she thought that she didn’t have anything pending here. She had said good-bye to Owen, Joel was dead, and Maria looked suspiciously at her. It was time to go.

“Ellie…”

“You’re going away”

Abby looked at her and smiled.

“How…”

“I just know, you have that look. Everybody leaves me.”

“That’s not… this has nothing to do with you”

Ellie looked away feeling sad, but she felt Abby’s arms around her. She relished the warmth and the protection they offered. Abby felt better now, she had thought of Ellie as an oasis of happiness in a world of death and suffering, but she was clearly more than that.

A bell started to rang on the distance and Abby thought it was for Joel.

Then a second bell… and a third.

“Shit…” Ellie said and Abby looked at her.

“What?”

“Infected. But nothing to worry about, unless we hear the siren” Ellie said looking ahead, where people were starting to gather in the different defensive posts.

“I need to go” Ellie said to her and she nodded and followed.

The siren went off and Ellie found Maria talking (actually, yelling) at a group of people.

“I know! I know!” she said frustrated.

“Maria”

“Ellie! Thank god. Would you take the wall post?”

“Sure, but what about…?”

“Don’t. We’ll talk about that later” Maria said cutting her last word. She knew they were low on ammo, and this was the worst moment to be under attack.

“What was that?” Abby asked Ellie as they climbed the stairs.

“We’re low on ammo. The scouting groups were supposed to bring some, but it's been a while since they succeeded”

“Let’s do it” Abby said finally feeling herself again. This was perfect.

It took Ellie two seconds to say yes, and together they started killing the infected one by one, making every shot count.


	19. “Well, that was unexpected”

“Everybody! Now!”

Jesse’s voice reached them amplified and suddenly the sky filled with fire. The Molotov cocktails did their job, creating a defensive wall and taking care of big part of the infected.

“Reload!”

They were giving it all, and after two exhausting hours, the threat seemed contained. The rest of the infected were killed only with pickets, crowbars and sharp instruments.

Abby and Ellie looked at each other, smiling at the small victory.

“Thank you, everyone! Please, the cleaning crew come forth. The rest, resume your chores!” Maria said with her hands on her waist.

Ellie, Abby and Maria talked at length, and sooner than later, the girls were preparing their gears again.

“I know I don’t need to tell you, but please, be safe”

“We will” Ellie said hugging Maria, who then looked at Abby and put a hand on her shoulder.

“Going somewhere?” Dina asked when she saw them preparing.

“We are, wanna come with?” Ellie asked in return, but if she was honest, she was hoping for a negative answer.

“I wish…” Dina said looking at her and feeling a longing for their patrols, when she thought that Ellie could be something more than a friend. But now it was too late, she could see the complicity in their eyes, they had bonded beyond her reach.

“Why don’t you?” Ellie asked as she checked the weight of her backpack. Abby had gone to the Doc’s tent to ask for a couple of supplies.

“I can't right now. So… how was last night?” Dina said raising an eyebrow and changing the subject.

Ellie blushed and avoided the question, luckily for her Jesse got to her side and she hugged him tight, then she saw Abby leaving the Doc’s tent and coming her way. Dina hugged her and surprised Abby with a hug too.

“Please, take care” she said to both of them.

“We’ll see you soon” Ellie said with a smile. Abby secured their stuff on the saddle that was on top of Shimmer, the horse Ellie called her other partner.

They said their good-byes and then the gate opened to let them go.

**DAY 1**

“We should find shelter before dark” Abby said looking around.

They had been riding for a long time, stopping only to check their surroundings.

“I can’t help thinking about that fucking Monroe” Abby said clenching her fists on the reigns at the sight of the road that led to the Hunters’ place.

“I know… I just hope that bastard was eaten slowly” Ellie said with a smirk.

“I should’ve listen to you… I’ll never doubt you again” Abby said to her.

“Can I have that in writing?”

“Well, do you have a pen and paper?” Abby smirked.

“Of course, actually, wait here for a sec” Ellie climbed down before Abby could say another word. “Stay right there”

“What? Here?”

“Yeah, just stay there” Ellie said already scribbling down.

Abby couldn’t help but smile at her. She admire her ability to quickly change the mood. She took the opportunity to double check her guns and the little ammo they had.

“Done” Ellie said putting her journal away and extending a hand to Abby, who helped her up.

“Good. I wanna see that later”

“You will, as soon as we get to a safe place”

“Let’s hurry then” Abby said and started riding again, making Ellie smile and feeling how she hugged her tight.

An hour later they found a spot that could be of use.

“Let’s check over there” Abby said pointing to a house that was apart.

“You first” Ellie said playful.

“Right, then you’ll clean up later” she answered as she climbed down the horse and silently approached the house. Ellie did the same from the other side.

No sound seemed to come from inside, and Abby slowly opened the door. She crossed the hall, checking every room and then unlocked the back door to let Ellie enter.

“Upstairs?” Ellie asked.

“Yeah, let’s go”

They were in the middle of the stairs when a noise startled them. An infected was standing outside the main room. Ellie crouched until she was behind it and quickly sliced its throat.

Abby checked the other rooms. She nodded to the closed door in front of Ellie, who slowly turned the doorknob and a foul smell crossed their faces.

“Ugh… I hate this” Abby said entering the room and looking around. She opened the curtains and the window, and the light revealed a couple of rotten corpses on the bed, they had bullet holes on their foreheads.

“That’s sad” Ellie said grabbing her elbow.

“I guess we’ll not be using this room…”

Abby said walking past Ellie and touching her shoulder on the way, her hand lingering a little longer to caress her arm. Ellie felt butterflies in her stomach, but they were quickly killed by the smelled that was emanating from the bed.

They decided to stay in the room on the corner, it was the cleanest and they had a great view from the windows opposite. Plus, the fresh air really made a difference.

“Shimmer is in the garage” Ellie said taking out her backpack and leaving it on the floor.

“Did you lock the doors?” Abby asked doing the same.

“Yeah, the windows?”

“All checked”

“So, I think we can rest here and leave tomorrow morning”

They looked around, their eyes resting on the small bed.

“You sleep first, I’m gonna keep watch” Abby said going to one of the windows.

Ellie walked towards her and hugged her from behind. Abby put her hand on her forearm. It felt good, and she started to feel nervous and excited.

Ellie moved her hands a little lower, and she caressed the naked skin that was under Abby’s t-shirt.

“You’re cold” she said and felt blushing at her audacity.

Abby turned and looked at Ellie’s beautiful eyes.

“I don’t think so…” she said slowly kissing her.

Together they reached the bed, which collapsed under their weight.

“Well, that was unexpected”

Abby said laughing and Ellie laughed too. They ended up snorting and laughing again in a cathartic moment that helped more than they knew.

“Doesn’t _mattress_ , still works” Abby said laughing along Ellie.

“You’re really good with jokes” she said drying a tear.

“I never knew, maybe you’re just a good audience”

“You think so?”

“The best”

They looked at each other, thinking that they couldn’t get enough of these moments.

Abby grabbed Ellie’s hand and pushed her towards her.

The house went silent and it suddenly felt warmer, as it slowly absorbed the love that was emanating from the small bedroom on the corner.

“Can I see that drawing now?” Abby said after several minutes with a hand behind her neck, a couple of hairs loose on her forehead, and a lovely blush covering her cheeks.

“You look… glowing” Ellie said next to her, passing a finger through her face.

“Stop it, you’re just avoiding the subject so I don’t see that drawing”

Ellie snorted and stood up. Abby saw the bruises on her naked back and grimaced. She would do whatever it cost to avoid any other mark on that skin. “ _Unless its mine_ ”, she thought and covered her mouth to hide her mischievous smile.

“What?” Ellie said turning and covering her breasts with her arm, feeling shy and quickly returning to Abby, who opened her arm to let Ellie rest on her shoulder.

“It’s nothing, I’m just happy right now”

“Me too” Ellie said giving her the journal and putting a hand on her chest, sighing deeply.

“Ellie… this is really good” Abby said taking her arm from Ellie and sitting to see better. Unlike Ellie, she didn’t mind not wearing a t-shirt.

“Well, if I knew you would be that interested, I would’ve showed it to you later” Ellie said pouting.

“Hey, we’re just taking a break. Maybe I could draw you after…”

“After…?” Ellie said wide-eyed.

Abby put the journal away, her lips on Ellie’s once again.

Ellie closed her eyes and let herself go, Abby was kissing every inch of naked skin she could find.

**DAY 2**

“Breakfast is ready” Abby said smiling at the feast they had in front of them. Two pieces of sandwich and a bottle of water.

“Yummy. Can’t wait to put a couple of traps and have a real breakfast” Ellie said taking one of the sandwiches.

“How long ‘til we get to that place?” Abby said remembering what Maria had said about the place they should check first.

“Not much, we should be able to see it today”

“Perfect” Abby said biting her sandwich. “You ride today, I want to hug you some more” she said standing up and taking their things downstairs. Ellie was happy, as happy as she could be.

“Hey Shimmer, ready for another go?” Ellie heard Abby say when she entered the garage. She was really good with animals and that was one of the things that Ellie loved the most.

They were riding again, Abby holding tight to Ellie’s waist and enjoying her smell.

“Infected” Ellie said stopping.

“I see four, you?”

“Yeah, two each?” She said climbing down the horse. Abby took out the machete Maria gave her and then took Ellie’s hand.

“Be careful, k?”

“You too”

A quick kiss and they parted ways, each taking care of their infected their own way.

“Holy shit!” Ellie yelled and Abby ran to her side.

“What is it?”

“Look…” Ellie showed her the contents of the jacket in one of the infected. He had clearly been a soldier, and luckily for them, one that had everything a man must have in order to survive.

They continued their trip, looking for the place where they should find the necessary materials to make more ammo.

“What’s your favorite animal?” Ellie asked Abby when they were on their way again.

“Mmm… I think dogs, but horses are both cute and useful, I don’t know… you?”

“I used to love rabbits, but after hunting so many I see them differently. I think horses and dogs too” she smiled.

“Where I lived we had lots of dogs, we trained them to help us”

“Wow, that sounds… helpful”

“It is, but it can be difficult to lose one of them”

“I figure. I’d love to see them”

“Maybe we could go one day… you know, if you want to”

“I want to” Ellie said with true honesty. She had loved her life in Jackson with Joel, but now that he wasn’t there, she felt the need to go somewhere else. Anywhere.

“Let’s find this ammo first, then we can start making other plans” Abby said looking ahead, as if trying to find a signal to what they were looking for.

“I like that plan”

They rode further away, looking for anything that could be useful. By the time the sun started to set, they had their bags considerable heavier.

“I was thinking… maybe we could leave some stuff nearby, you know, hidden” Abby said when she took off her backpack.

“And then take them with us on the return journey”

“Exactly”

“Perfect”

They started to put together what they think they could leave behind. The bundle looked secured and they buried it in a spot they marked on their map.

“Ok, now we need today’s shelter” Abby said looking around at the empty houses around. They were in the middle of the street when they heard a scream.

“What was that?” Ellie asked nervous behind Abby, who was now riding again.

“I don’t know… but we should be extremely careful now”

“Let’s not take the main road then… look, take that” Ellie said pointing to a side street that had a couple of cars in the middle.

They were riding slowly and carefully, and when they were about to jump an obstacle, the deafening sound of a trap mine being set off filled the air. Shimmer was on the ground, bleeding from its destroyed legs.

“Shimmer!” Ellie yelled and then a bullet crossed its skull, leaving it motionless.

“Fuck!” Abby said and she took Ellie to one side, they hid among the tall grass, Ellie suppressing her cry and Abby trying to control herself, she must be clever, they will not be caught.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I said that this was going to be 20 chapters, but I think I'm gonna need more.
> 
> Talking about slow-burn hahaha


	20. “That sounds promising”

“What the fuck! Shimmer!”

“Ellie, are you ok?”

“Yeah, yeah… you?”

“I’m ok, I’m so sorry… I should’ve seen that”

“Who the fuck are those guys?”

“I don’t really care, we should just go back”

“Why would they shoot to kill at practically anyone?”

“They just don’t care”

Abby and Ellie started retreating slowly, careful of being out of sight. It took them a while to get to a safer distance.

“There’s a fucking ton of them” she said giving the sniper rifle to Abby so she could see too.

“I think I see the sniper. He’s on the third floor, blue building”

Ellie looked in that direction.

“We need to move on. Let’s go, maybe we could go back and go under the bridge…” she said and saw Abby frowning and looking at the rifle.

“What are you thinking?”

“I don’t know, it may be too reckless but…”

“What?”

“I think we can do this” Abby said biting her lip.

Ellie took the rifle from her hands and use it to count them.

“We’ll need to split” she said checking her ammo.

“Yeah, that’s what I don’t like”

“Me neither”

“Well, you decide” Abby said looking at her.

“Let’s do it” Ellie said looking fierce.

“Ellie, let’s be…” Abby said and waited a second.

“Smart about it” Ellie finished smiling.

Abby went to the left and Ellie took the right, not too far from her. Three men were patrolling a little bit further away.

“Keep looking!” one of them yelled.

Ellie was hidden behind a car, and saw Abby quickly making one of them disappear behind a container. She held her breath and saw the other guy starting looking around, dangerously close to the container. Ellie’s arrow landed right on his head, and he fell dead making little sound.

Abby reappeared from behind the container and looked at the dead guy. She nodded and Ellie turned to the right.

“John?” the guy that had yelled before was calling. “Why can’t you do as you’re told?”

Ellie took out a rag and a canister and quickly crafted a silencer. The man was giving his second step back when a silent bullet shut his eyes for good.

Abby was on the far left and Ellie saw her killing another one. There were three other men in the way, and five more starting to regroup to the right. Abby looked at the contents of her backpack and frowned.

She looked at Ellie and followed her eyes. She saw the five guys and immediately knew what to do. She quickly took out some alcohol, a container and an explosive charge. She crafted a pipe bomb and turned to look at Ellie.

She smiled when she saw that she had been right, and she could see what looked like a trap mine on Ellie’s hands, who was now crouching and slowly approaching the group of men. She held her breath when she squinted to see the tall grass moving so little that it would have been unnoticeable to anyone else.

“Easy does it” Ellie thought as she placed the trap mine on the ground. She retreated as slowly as she could, and stopped when she reached the spot she had been using as a hideout before. She looked at Abby, and saw her taking a brick, she had something in her other hand.

“Shit’s about to get real” Ellie thought when she threw the brick, the guys started to walk towards the sound. She heard a bottle braking and the three guys close to Abby turned, the pipe bomb landed on their feet and a second later they exploded in a cloud of blood and bones. The other guys hurried and before any of them could do anything else, the air filled with another explosion. Two guys were still alive, but they were quickly finished off.

“Don’t move, the sniper is still out there” Abby said to Ellie and they walked among the cars, avoiding being exposed.

“Over here” Ellie said in front of a broken window and then climbed through it.

They entered the building and checked the rooms, there was no one around. They reached the third floor and saw where the sniper had been shooting from.

“Maybe he left?” Ellie said taking the ammo from the rifle.

“Let’s be extra careful, k?” Abby said grabbing other supplies that were around. She had found a dark bottle that looked interesting and saved it carefully among her stuff.

“At least he gave Shimmer a quick death” Ellie said as she started to put her backpack on.

“Well… I told you I could be gracious” the backpack fell to the floor and Abby turned fast with a gun in her hands.

It was Monroe. He had a patch in his right eye and he had put Ellie in a choke hold, she was grasping for breath and he slowly took out his arm and replace it with a big knife on her throat.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I never expected to see your stupid faces again. The last time we met I had a little… inconvenience. By the way, did you like my farewell gift?” he laughed, but then stopped and coughed. Ellie kicked his legs, but he didn’t even flinch.

“Let’s behave, yes?” he said hitting Ellie hard on the ribs and putting the knife even closer, the skin wrinkling due to the pressure. “Now, drop it” he said looking at Abby’s gun.

The knife was so tight in Ellie’s skin that she felt it itching.

Abby dropped her gun and put her hands up.

“Alright, alright”

“That’s my girl. We were so rudely interrupted the other day…”

Abby didn’t say anything.

“I see. You thought I was dead” he said with a huge smile. “Sorry to disappoint you, but it’ll take much more than that” he licked Ellie’s left cheek and Abby saw her face of disgust.

“Leave her” she said clenching her fists and looking menacing.

“I could, but then you would attack me… and we don’t want that, don’t we?” he said violently turning Ellie to look at her eyes.

Ellie spat at his left eye and that initiated a series of events.

She hit him hard on the ribs and Abby kicked him in the face when he was starting to lean. Then, she broke a bottle on his head and Ellie did the same right after. His face was covered in blood, but he was laughing.

They hit him hard on his face, arms, legs, and he continued laughing. They stopped and looked at him.

“I bet you consider yourself immortal, unbeatable and any other fucking word you’ll use to feel special” Abby said holding her gun again and aiming at his face.

Monroe spat at her feet and showed his bloody teeth.

“You think you’re strong… but you have no idea”

He was on his knees, bleeding profusely from his nose. His eye patch was loose and they had a glimpse of the disgusting open wound that had replaced his eyeball.

“I have to say…”

“I don’t care what you got to say” Ellie said and knocked him out with the heel of her shotgun.

Abby tied him up and together they dragged him outside, kicking him down the stairs, not caring at all if he hit on the way.

“What do you wanna do with him?” Abby asked Ellie once they reached the first floor.

“I dreamed about this moment, but to be honest, I just want to get the hell out of here”

Abby frowned and looked at him. She had also dreamed about this. She wanted to wake him up and take her time, but deep down, she also wanted to get the hell out of there, and she felt as if she was done with all of this.

“I’m done with all this shit” she said looking at his bleeding body.

“I have an idea. Help me drag him outside” Ellie said and together they left him on the street. Ellie took out the trap mine she had left and put it near him.

“Gimme one of your pipe bombs” she said and Abby did it with a grin.

“What do you think? Too much?” Ellie asked satisfied once she was done. They looked at an unconscious Monroe and the pipe bomb he now had tied to his chest.

“I like it” Abby said thinking that it was the perfect way to end this.

They retreated to a safe distance and Ellie threw an arrow at one of Monroe’s legs. He yelled in pain and looked at the arrow that had awaken him so abruptly. Then, he looked up and saw Abby and Ellie staring from a distance, the last he saw was the explosive arrow that was shot directly to the pipe bomb on his chest. He exploded into hundreds of pieces.

The girls stood there looking at the blood stain that used to be a human being long, long time ago.

“Let’s hurry, we made way too much noise”

“Agreed” Ellie said with a last look.

“Hey wait, come here” Abby said taking Ellie’s hand to stop her.

“What?”

“Just wait” she said examining her throat and then using some water to clean it, she did the same with her left cheek and gave her a little kiss when she finished.

“Thank you” Ellie said in a low voice.

“Hey! The bastard’s dead! We should be fucking celebrating”

“Yes, Yeah! We will!” Ellie looked at her with a smirk and it was Abby’s time to welcome a whole family of butterflies on her stomach.

“Let’s go then, the sooner the better” she said eager.

They didn’t walk much when the familiar sound of grunts reached them.

“Here they come…” Ellie said taking out the rifle to look closer.

“Infected?”

“Yeah, not that many by the looks of it”

“Shall we?” Abby said holding Monroe’s rifle.

“We definitely should” Ellie said with a smile, and soon they were both shooting infected side by side once again, each bullet translating into an infected less.

“I think that’s it” Abby said after a couple of minutes looking through the sight.

“Yeah, let’s get the hell out of here”

“Agreed” Abby said.

They walked among the infected, scavenging anything that could be of use, and that wasn’t rotten.

“Hey! Look at this guy!” Ellie said taking a semi-auto rifle from him.

Abby was next to her and saw the vest.

“W.L.F. do you know them?” Ellie asked Abby, noticing that she was too quiet.

“Yeah, I know them. We better move”

“Sure” Ellie said knowing that look too well.

They walked past the rest of the bodies, collecting a thing or two.

“D’you know where we are?” Abby asked after a while, loading her gun.

“Let me see” Ellie said taking out her map. “I think we are… here” she said placing a finger on a spot that was relatively close to their objective.

Abby was studying the map, still frowning.

“We should go here, last time it was safe, but know we can’t be sure. Still, it’s the best thing we have to spend the night” Ellie said putting her map away.

“We have, what? Three more hours of light?” Abby said looking up to the sun.

“I think so”

“Let’s use them to find shelter and then I can tell you all about the W.L.F.” Abby said looking at Ellie.

“That sounds promising” she answered feeling excited.

“Oh… and look what I found” Abby said opening her backpack and showing Ellie what looked like dinner for two, a smile finally crossing her lips again.

“Nice!”

“Wait… there’s more” Abby said taking out a dark bottle.

“What is that?”

“Something that could help us relax, I think” Abby said sniffing it and passing it to Ellie, who did the same and wrinkled her nose.

“Whoa… yes, that should be interesting”

“Promising” Abby said putting it away with a smirk.

They walked towards their new destiny leaving behind the huge burden they had been carrying on their backs.


	21. “Penny for your thoughts?”

They were walking in silence when Ellie stopped.

“What is it?” Abby asked stopping too.

“Would you give me a sec? I need to do something real quick”

“Sure, I’ll look around” Abby said and saw Ellie taking out her journal.

“Don’t go too far” Ellie said turning her head and Abby walked towards her.

“I’m here” she said putting her back on Ellie’s.

Ellie relaxed and opened the notebook, she saw the short message she had written for Joel, it was her personal way of bidding farewell. Next to it she had drawn a dinosaur playing the guitar with a coffee mug next to him. His audience was a girl wearing a space helmet and clapping. She smiled and did a quick note about Shimmer, followed by a **†**.

“Ok, let’s continue” Ellie said putting her journal away and feeling that Joel wasn’t really gone. She then jumped over a puddle and missed, falling right on the deepest part of it, her snickers wet, again.

“Goddamn it!”

“Well, you had that coming, you know?”

“Why thank you!”

“You’re welcome” Abby said with a smirk.

“So, I guess that was the last of the hunters, or at least for now” Ellie said with a last glance back.

“Let’s hope”

“You know… for a second there, I was really scared”

“If he had only grabbed my leg or arm, things would have been different”

“I know. We were lucky, and I think that the beating from the other day weakened him, that must be the only good thing those fuckers ever did”

“Yeah, good riddance!”

“We sure spent more ammo that we should’ve though” Abby said checking the ammo clips she had.

“I know, but I consider it celebration ammo” Ellie said smiling and Abby did the same.

They continued walking, the trees around them were big and beautiful.

“What if we don’t find what we’re looking for?” Abby said after a while.

“Then Maria will send another scouting group” she said and put her hands on her waist “ _In order to survive the apocalypse, you need to have a plan B_ ” she said mimicking her.

“That was good!” Abby said clapping and Ellie bowed low.

“Probably Jesse will volunteer, I saw him reckless” Ellie said frowning.

“Were you and him…?”

“What?”

“You know, together at some point?”

“Jesse and I?” Ellie snorted, “No way! He’s like my brother!”

“I see, that’s why you looked so familiar”

“Yeah, we’ve known each other for a while, it was like finding the brother I never had”

“That’s nice”

Ellie smiled. They continued walking.

“Shh… wait!” Abby said and came to a halt. She slowly walked towards the right side of the road. There was an infected that was almost completely consumed by the vegetation that had grown all around. Abby killed it with her machete and cleaned it before putting it away.

“What’s the scariest infected you’ve seen?” Ellie asked her once they were walking again.

“Scariest?” Abby said considering the question. “I think that the ones I don’t see until they are right at my side”

“Fucking stalkers, I hate them”

“You?”

“I remember the first time I saw a Bloater… my heart stopped for a few seconds. But I agree with you, the worst are the ones you can’t see”

“Oh, look at this!” Abby said noticing a bike among the grass. She looked closer and saw that it seemed functional.

“Help me?” she said to Ellie showing her the rear wheel.

“Oh!” Ellie said as they both pulled hard to reveal a rusty bike.

“Well… looked fine from where I was” Abby said with disappointment.

“It would’ve been nice” Ellie said leaving it on the ground.

They shrugged at the same time and smiled at each other. They continued walking.

Another hour passed and they hadn’t found a place to spend the night.

“Maybe we should start thinking about putting together our own shelter while we still have some light” Abby said looking around.

“Agreed”

They walked a little further, hoping to find anything that could keep them safe.

“What was the last time you checked this post?”

“To be honest, I’ve never been here. The last patrol didn’t make it back, and before that…” Ellie frowned, “I think a month or so”

“That’s a lot of time”

“I just hope we find it soon. I’m not a fan of sleeping outdoors”

“Yeah, me neither”

Half an hour later, when Abby was about to suggest calling it a day, Ellie hurried forward.

“We’re here” she said showing Abby a colorful ribbon tied to a tree.

“Excellent” Abby said looking at it.

“C’mon, let’s go” Ellie said walking towards the next ribbon. “Hey! Fireflies!” she said and Abby turned fast to see Ellie surrounded by the little bugs. She felt her heart beating fast, hearing that word coming from her was a surprise and indulged in the line of thought she was experiencing.

“Penny for your thoughts?” Ellie said showing a coin to Abby, who took it with a huge smile.

“What’s this? How long have you had it?” she said examining closely and gladly realizing that she didn’t have it.

“Well, a while” Ellie said blushing. She had been waiting for the perfect opportunity and she was glad it had finally arrived.

“So?” Ellie asked Abby, who had put the coin in her “coin pocket”, and had resumed her silent walking.

“What?”

“Gave you the penny…” Ellie smiled.

“Right! Let’s add that to our talk, k?”

“Man, I can’t wait”

Abby chortled and Ellie tried to record that sound deep in her heart.

A few minutes later, Ellie stopped dead and made Abby a sign to do the same. She took out her bow and slowly took out an arrow. Her heart was racing fast, she had spotted a fat rabbit, and its little cotton tail could be seen around a small bush.

She could feel the breeze on her face, “ _Perfect_ ” she thought. Eyes fixed on the small creature that was completely unaware of her.

Abby was like a statue, she was moving her eyes only, capturing Ellie’s every movement and admiring her beautiful hunting technique.

Ellie looked down and slowly gave one step ahead to reach a better position, careful not to step on any crunchy stick, leaves or gravel.

She held her breath when the rabbit sat up taller and looked around.

“ _Not yet_ ” she thought pulling back the bow string to full drawn.

She knew that the slightest sound could make it flee at high speed, but she could hold the arrow for so long without getting tired. Luckily, the rabbit relaxed and Ellie released the arrow, which accurately hit its head, giving it a quick end.

She lowered the bow and rubbed her shoulder. Abby breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her celebrating. The arrow seemed lost in the bushes.

“I got it” Ellie said smiling and putting her bow away.

“That was pretty amazing” Abby said giving Ellie a quick massage on the shoulders, and then walking towards the dead creature.

“And that was unexpectedly good, would you repeat it later?”

“My pleasure” Abby said as she took out the arrow out of the rabbit’s head. “It was a swift death, we can only wish that, right?” she said with the rabbit oh her hand.

“A long survival and a swift death, that’s the dream” Ellie said taking the rabbit from Abby and leaving her speechless one more time.

“Interesting combination of words” she said with a side glance.

“I like it”

“ _May your survival be long. May your death be swift_ ” Abby said and Ellie looked at her.

“What’s that?”

“That’s the W.L.F.’s motto” she said. Ellie was ecstatic.

“I think we’ll talk about it soon, is that the post?” she asked.

Ellie looked at where she was pointing and smiled.

“It is. We need to check the surroundings” she said taking out her gun and Abby did the same. The post was a house with all of its windows boarded up. They found nothing on their way and Ellie reached the door. She put her ear on it and listened intently.

“I think it’s clear”

“Let me go first” Abby said and Ellie opened the door with a key she had. Abby slowly entered and heard Ellie’s flashlight behind her, the light illuminated the room and they split to check.

“Nothing” Ellie said after a full search.

She went to the garage and picked up a plastic gasoline container.

“I’ll be right back” she said going outside and around the house, where she found a generator. She filled it and checked that everything was in order.

“Here we go” she said pulling the recoil cord until she felt a bit of resistance, then let it go. She did it two more times and then it started.

When she entered the house again, the lights were on and Abby was already taking care of the fire. She took out her knife and went outside again to clean up the rabbit, a smile fixed on her face.

Abby looked at the fire crackling and brushed her hands against each other after the good work. She examined the place and walked to the door. Ellie was cursing at the dead rabbit she was cleaning and that made her chuckle.

She had never imagined this kind of life. The cost had been extremely high and she couldn’t help but feel guilty for being this happy now.

Ellie was right next to her when she got out of her musings.

“You didn’t hear me, bad sign for a lookout” she said smiling.

“It’s true, I had my guard down”

“Hey, it was a joke” Ellie said laughing.

“I know, but it’s still true” she said shrugging.

“Stop it and come here, I’m gonna make you a dinner so good that you’ll feel happy no matter what”

“I’m happy no matter what… and it’s scary”

“I know” Ellie said looking straight to her eyes. “It scares the hell out of me too” she said leaving the things on the sink and washing her hands.

“The idea of losing it is just…”

“Unbearable” Ellie said and Abby nodded.

“I’ve felt that before. I spent a lot of time feeling useless and only passing the days. You see… at some point my life really mattered. You know? Like, for real. I had the chance to make something really good out of it, but then it wasn’t possible. And I didn’t had a say” Ellie ranted, exposing her deepest fears and sorrows.

“We shouldn’t feel guilty for surviving” Abby said not really feeling it.

“But it’s hard” Ellie said and their eyes met. They could communicate so much just by looking at each other.

“You know, I was thinking…” Abby said as she rumbled in her bag. “I’m not really sure about this” she said taking out the dark bottle.

“I know what you mean, he could’ve drink from that” Ellie said and shook away the thought of Monroe’s disgusting saliva.

“Let’s leave this for the infected then” Abby said leaving the dark bottle next to the sink.

“And I don’t think we’ll need it anyway” Ellie said opening a small cabinet next to the kitchen, where they saw different bottles, most of them halfway down.

“Let’s try this one” she said taking out a dark green bottle and when she turned, she found Abby already looking at the fire. She seemed lost in thought, but soon turned and looked at Ellie, an honest smile forming on her lips.

“Come sit here. Let’s talk while dinner gets ready” Abby said sitting in the dusty sofa. “No, wait, gimme a sec” she said quickly standing up and taking out the cushions outside, where she started shaking off the dust. Then she put them back and looked satisfied.

“Ok, now” she said patting the cushion next to her. Ellie smiled, relaxing at the thought that their only threat right now was the dust and a possible hangover.


	22. “Never have I ever”

Ellie looked at the ledger that was on top of the side table and opened it. She gasped when she found Joel’s handwriting and she rested her hand on it for a second before closing it again with a smile.

She took the pot along with the things she thought would be a nice dinner and put it on top of the stove. She noticed Abby taking out her jacket and checking her braid. She had come to love that tank top.

She sat next to her and stretched.

“We could play a game, what d’you think?” Abby said taking the bottle and sniffing it.

“Can I begin?” Ellie said feeling excited as she sat cross-legged.

“Sure, what about “ _Never have I ever_ ”?

“Sounds fun, ok” Ellie said thinking. “Never have I ever... eaten out of a trash can” she said and they both drank and then snorted at the same time.

“Survival, right?” Ellie said and Abby nodded with a smile.

“My turn. Never have I ever… read a novel” Abby said drinking her shot and chortling when she saw Ellie drank hers as well.

“What?” Ellie asked wiping her mouth. The liquor was burning her throat and sending a warm feeling to her whole body.

“I thought you only read comic books” Abby said refilling their glasses.

“Well I do, but Joel insisted in…” she stopped talking at the sudden realization that Joel won’t be bringing her any new gifts that she could pretend to dislike, only to cherish them later.

Abby stood up and planted a kiss on her forehead. A delicious smell emanated from the pot when Abby took the lid off, awakening their senses.

“Smells good” Ellie said from her sit, her sadness quickly replaced by joy.

“Needs more time. Your turn” Abby said with a wink and Ellie grinned.

“Ok. Never have I ever kissed someone without meaning it” she saw Abby drinking her shot and raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah, well… it’s a long story” she said waving her hand.

“I want to hear all of your stories” Ellie said with a warm voice.

“Ok. Never have I ever… given up” Abby said looking at Ellie with the glass between her fingers. Ellie was about to drink, but frowned.

“You haven’t. Otherwise you wouldn’t be here” Abby said gently caressing her face.

Ellie was thinking about Riley, and that time when a bullet to the head sounded like the best solution. She shook her head and they continued playing, stopping only to eat some of their dinner, which had a lot of flavor and made them feel extremely happy.

When they finished their last shot and Abby’s glass failed to reach the table, they stopped. Two empty bottles were now in front of them, and even though they hadn’t been full from the beginning, they had been more than enough.

Ellie stood up to grab a plate, but she slumped on the couch. Abby laughed, but immediately felt the world shaking.

“I think we… hic… had a little too much” Ellie said not even attempting to stand again.

“Only a little” Abby answered from the other side. “We need… to… go… to bed” she said standing up with great effort and taking Ellie’s hand.

Somehow they reached the bed and collapsed.

Abby woke up with a start. She was alone in the room, and it was dark.

“Ellie?” she asked out loud.

No sound could be heard around. She quickly got out of bed and put on her shoes.

“Ellie?” Abby asked from the door and scanned the room. Ellie wasn’t there.

“Ellie? C’mon!” Abby said feeling more nervous by the second.

A sound came from the garage and she dashed towards it.

Her heart stopped when she saw Ellie fighting off a clicker. She was trapped between its putrid arms, its teeth were dripping blood from a recent bite.

Abby took one step forward and fell, an infected that was crawling on the floor had grabbed her foot.

“Fuck off!” she said kicking it hard until she broke its skull. She saw with horror how Ellie fell to her knees, the clicker yelled loud and Abby rushed to her, she saw her grabbing her neck. Blood was pouring from fingers that were trying hard to put some pressure.

The clicker lifted its arm to slash Ellie, but Abby grabbed it before that, she then grabbed its neck with the other hand and took it to the side, careful not to step on Ellie (and ignoring the look on her extremely white face).

Abby was pressing as hard as she could, the creature yelled in her face, shaking her arms wildly. Abby felt a scratch and the burning sensation immediately expanded to her shoulder.

“Fucking die!” she yelled as she crushed its skull against the wall with her bare hands.

“Ellie?” she said kneeling in front of her, she looked pale.

“Sorry… I…” her voice was shaky and weak.

“Ellie… don’t you dare!” Abby said holding the hand that had failed to keep the blood from pouring. She looked at her arm, it was red and getting darker. And it hurt.

“You…. Bitten” Ellie said almost in a whisper.

“Ellie… I…” the knot in Abby’s throat made it impossible for her to speak.

Ellie was losing strength, she felt sleepy, and a little cold. Abby was crying.

“ _No… don’t cry. Kiss me…_ ” Ellie thought, unable to actually say it, and shedding what felt like her last tear.

Abby put a hand on Ellie’s face and gave her a tender kiss. Her lips trying to infuse life into a body that was slowly shutting down.

She felt Ellie’s hand lifeless on her side. She didn’t want to end that kiss, even though her lips were not moving anymore. She wasn’t able to accept it.

Tears were racing down her cheeks as she slowly separated from Ellie. She looked at her parted lips, at her chin, the chest that was no longer moving up and down. She didn’t dare looking at her face, it was too much.

“I love you” she said feeling her own arm falling to her side. She looked at it and smiled.

“At least we won’t be apart too long”

She stood up without another glance, walked towards their stuff and grabbed Ellie’s shotgun with gut-wrenching sobs that tore through her chest. Her eyes were burning when she sat on the floor.

“This is it then. Hope to see you again” she said with a faint smile, looking at the garage door.

Birds all around flew away at the loud sound of a gunshot firing. The echo slowly decaying on the distance.

Abby woke up with a start. She was alone in the room, and it was dark.

“Ellie?” She asked low looking at the empty bed. Her heart was racing fast after what had surely been the worst nightmare of her life. She quickly got out of bed and put on her shoes. She could hear voices coming from the living room and approached as slowly and silent as possible.

“What the fuck are you saying?” Ellie was asking in a hushed voice.

“She could be dangerous, Ellie. That surgeon Joel killed, the one with the Fireflies that was going to create a cure? It was her father”

Ellie blanched, she couldn’t believe it, surely Abby would have told her something like that.

“Now wait, how do you know? And more importantly, a cure?” Ellie said wincing and feeling extremely anxious.

“Maria told me about you… and her” Jesse said in a low voice.

“Ok, so what? Joel killed a lot of people…”

“Yeah, but what are the odds? Maria thinks she came her looking for Joel, to kill him”

“That can’t be true”

“It is” Abby said leaving her hideout.

“What?” Ellie said looking at her. She stood up along with Jesse.

“It’s true. I came here looking for Joel Miller. I trained for the last four years to get my revenge”

“What?” Ellie repeated, unable to believe this revelation.

“So, you wanted to kill him, and then what?” Jesse asked with his face red from anger, which only deepened Abby’s frown.

“And then nothing. Leave, I think”

“But… why?” Ellie was looking at Abby under a whole new light. And it was breaking her heart.

“He killed my father. And with that millions of people that could’ve benefit from the cure!” Abby was trembling with rage.

“But that would have killed Ellie” Jesse said slowly, looking at her friend’s reaction.

“I know… I…”

“I think I wanna go for a walk” Ellie said in a neutral voice.

“It’s dangerous outside” Jesse said.

“It’s dangerous in here” Ellie snapped and left without another look, slamming the door behind her.

Abby was stunned. The vortex of anger that was swirling inside of her was mixing with too many emotions at the same time to identify any.

Two hearts had broken that night and she turned in silence to gather her things.

A yell came from outside and Abby ran towards the door that was already open.

“Ellie!” Jesse was shouting.

“Over… here!” Ellie’s voice came from the woods.

“Where are you?” Jesse said and felt Abby running past him.

“Ellie!” she said as she grabbed the clicker that was attacking her. Two others were quickly approaching and Jesse shot one of them in the head.

The other one was going to grab Abby, but in that exact moment Abby grabbed the clicker by the throat and threw it to make them collide. Jesse shot and miss, and when Ellie looked at him she felt paralyzed. A huge bloater had grabbed him by the head and severed it from the rest of his body.

“Jesse!” Ellie yelled, Abby was pushing the two clickers, trying to avoid the infected claws. She felt one of them cutting deep in her back.

“Holy shit! No! Shit!” Abby looked at Ellie yelling at the sight of the bloater throwing them a spore bomb.

They didn’t have time to do anything else but share a last look. The bomb exploited right at their feet. Ellie was coughing on the ground and Abby was choking, burning inside. She fell to her knees and the clickers did the rest.

Abby woke up with a start.

“Are you ok?” Ellie said next to her, turning on the bedside lamp. Abby was sweating and extremely agitated.

“Ellie! Oh my god!” she said embracing her in a tight hug.

“What happened?”

“Worst… nightmares… ever! Please tell me I’m awake. I’m not sure of anything anymore” she said looking around and at her hands.

“Come here” Ellie said wrapping her in her arms, tenderly stroking her hair and back.

“You’re safe” she said softly to her ear.

Abby exhaled shakily and sat up straight to look at her.

“You said that when we first met”

“I know. And I still mean it”

Abby leaned to kiss her, and Ellie started to caress her back, but she stopped and put some distance between them.

“I think that we need to get you out of these wet clothes” Ellie said blushing at the idea.

“That would be nice” Abby said feeling calmer, and welcoming a completely different kind of excitement.


	23. “That’s my girl”

The next day Abby was in the kitchen. The memories of her nightmares were chasing her and she knew that she would have to do something about it. She looked at the sink and saw something that called her attention. She took it with curiosity, examined it closely and snorted.

Ellie entered the kitchen with a sleepy face and looked at Abby checking some of the mushrooms she had found next to the rabbit.

“Ellie, did you use these last night?” she said trying to hide her smile.

“Yeah, why?”

“I guess now I know why I had such nightmares. They’re not poisonous, but look…” she showed her one that was slightly different from the others. “This is a liberty cap, my dad taught me about them” Ellie looked at the mushroom and noticed the slight difference with the others.

“I slept well… maybe you were just drunk” she said shrugging and trying to be serious.

“Maybe you’re just immune” Abby said with a laugh and Ellie giggled and looked away. Her awkward laugh was interrupted by a strange sound outside.

“I’ll go check” Abby said taking one of her weapons.

It was only a wild animal. Abby closed the door behind her and saw Ellie going to the garage. A flashback of one of her nightmares made her shudder and she tried to shake it away, frowning.

She knew that she had to do it. Tell her everything and leave all secrets behind.

Ellie was on the garage collecting a few things for their journey. “ _Immune_ …” she thought and ran her finger through her tattoo, and the mark behind it.

She wanted to tell her everything and leave all secrets behind.

They met in the living room. Abby was checking the guns and reloading. Ellie was carrying a few things in her arms. She had a grease stain on her face and Abby smiled when she noticed it. She was nervous, _“C’mon! Just do it… now!”_ Abby said to herself over and over _._

“Ellie…”

“Yes?” Ellie said turning and Abby looked at her hands.

“I need to tell you something”

Ellie just nodded and sat next to her. Abby didn’t know where to begin, and Ellie was checking her serious expression.

_“This looks bad… maybe she wants to be just friends… maybe I shouldn’t have….”_

Her imaginations were interrupted by Abby’s voice.

“Four years ago, my dad and I were out in the woods. We were following the trail of a zebra that looked in trouble. Owen arrived just in time to help” she rubbed her hands on her knees before continuing.

“He brought some news too. There was a girl with an old bite mark on her arm. No sign of infection” Abby didn’t look at Ellie, but she saw her involuntarily covering her arm. She continued.

“My dad couldn’t believe it, he ran off to the hospital, where they were running tests on her”

Abby straightened, but didn’t look at Ellie. Then continued.

“I heard my dad talking to Marlene” Ellie gasped at the sound of that name, Abby noticed how her body was shaking slightly and she felt awful to be the one causing it. She wanted to hug her tight and tell her that everything was fine, but the hard part was yet to come.

“He had worked tirelessly to find a way of creating a cure, and he had finally found it. The only problem was that it would mean the death of the host”

“ _The host_ ” Ellie whispered and Abby looked at her for a second, then continued.

“Marlene tried to convince him to find another way. She asked him what he would do if it were me” Abby breathed shakily. Ellie was listening carefully.

“She told him that she needed to tell Joel” Abby flinched and Ellie saw her stood up and going to the window, she pressed her forehead against it to feel the cold. The boards were covering the sight, but she wasn’t looking at anything in particular anyway.

“My dad told her that it could be dangerous, but she said that he deserved it, since he had traveled with her across the country.” Abby lowered her head and continued. Her voice was shaky.

“When I heard the alarms I immediately ran towards my dad, but when I reached the operation room, Joel had already killed him” Abby said clenching her fists and Ellie saw how her knuckles started to turn white from the pressure.

“I swore then and there that I would avenge my father” Abby said and finally looked at Ellie before continuing.

“I wanted to kill him. I trained hard to be able to face him when the time came” she turned her back to Ellie.

“It wasn’t a coincidence Joel found me, I was following a lead” she said and looked at her again.

Ellie didn’t know what to say. She was still processing the fact that Abby knew about her immunity all this time. And she wanted to kill Joel.

“But you _helped_ him…” Ellie said faintly.

“Yes, I did” Abby looked at her hands and closed her eyes.

“What changed?” Ellie asked without taking her eyes from her.

“You” Abby answered and looked at her. It was true and she knew it.

“When we found him with Tommy and I saw the possibility of being all together in Jackson, I knew I wasn’t going to do anything to him. I had come to care too much about you” she finished and sighed.

“Thank you” Ellie said coming closer to her.

“For what?”

“For telling me”

“Aren’t you mad at me?” Abby asked and Ellie slowly shook her head.

“I knew that someday Joel’s past would caught up with him. I just never thought I’d be part of it”

Abby was relieved, but now it was Ellie who looked tense.

“At first, he told me that there was no cure, that there were dozens of other people immune, so it wasn’t necessary for me to be there. I didn’t believe him, but he insisted”

It was Abby’s turn to be stunned and listen.

“Two years ago, I was in St. Mary's Hospital looking for supplies. In one of the operation rooms I saw a bag that had the Firefly sign on it. Inside, I found a recording”

Ellie closed her eyes and recalled that day. She listened to that recording so many times that she learned it by heart.

“ _Even if we found her, or by some miracle found someone else that’s immune, it’d make no difference. ‘Cause the only person who could develop a vaccine is dead_ ”

Abby felt a knot on her throat.

“Joel found me and I confronted him, forced him to tell me the truth. He confessed that making a vaccine would have killed me. So he stopped them” Ellie’s voice broke as she remembered that conversation, and the feeling of despair she felt that day was menacing to attack her one more time.

She forced herself to continue.

“After that, our relationship wasn’t the same. Until one night, when I had some problems in the bar. He helped me and we started a small conversation outside of his house. The subject suddenly changed to love interests, and when we reached that point I snapped. I couldn’t talk about something so trivial like that, I just couldn’t forgive him for what he did”

Ellie bit her lip.

“I was supposed to die in that hospital!”

She started to cry and Abby approached her, feeling a whole new admiration for her. Ellie threw her arms around her and together they cried for all that was forever lost.

Abby was the first to stop and put Ellie at arm’s length.

“Listen to me, your life matters” she said and Ellie buried her face in her chest.

They stayed like that for a while, and when Abby noticed her relaxing, she searched for her eyes.

“Ellie…” Abby was saying with her hands on Ellie’s cheeks, and she got a kiss as the only answer.

Ellie lowered her face and smiled. She felt incredibly light, and loved. Abby’s arms were surrounding her, and her hands were caressing her back. She relished the moment, and she knew that what she was feeling right now was something that she had been searching for her whole life.

Abby felt good with herself after years of feeling angry and sad. She was holding Ellie tight in her arms, never wanting to let go again.

They were looking at each other’s eyes when the sound of hooves popped the little bubble they were in.

Abby rushed to the door and Ellie fetched a couple of guns, giving one to her when she reached the door. Abby was peeking through a small opening and then suddenly she opened the door wide, making Ellie stiffen.

“It’s Jesse” she announced and Ellie lowered her gun and ran to meet her friend.

“Hey you!” he said as he got down from his horse.

“Hey you!” Ellie answered and they hugged. Then Jesse hugged Abby too and Ellie smiled.

“What are you doing here?” Ellie asked brushing some snowflakes off his shoulders.

“I came to look for you. Some people arrived at Jackson shortly after you left. They turned out to be a hell of an addition!” he said with a huge smile and opening his arms wide.

“Spit it out already!” Ellie urged him.

“They had a ridiculous amount of ammo, one of them is a weapon manufacturer” he finished and looked from one to the other.

“That’s great news!” Abby said first.

“Yeah! Awesome!” Ellie added.

Jesse had pictured a very different reaction and he smiled at the sudden realization of the reason.

“Did you see infected on the way?” Abby asked curious.

“Not really, only one. You did a very good job taking care of them”

“There weren’t that many then” Ellie said frowning.

“Well, it’s not like those are bad news”

“Yeah, I know… I’m just wondering”

“Well, you can wonder on the way back. Unless…”

“Unless?” Ellie asked a little too quickly, making him smile.

“Unless you want to stay here longer, or go somewhere else…”

Ellie looked at Abby and saw her turning away, fast, but not before she could catch the blush on her face.

Jesse started to check his saddle.

“Can I use the bathroom real quick?” He said and Ellie nodded.

“Do you want to go back?” Abby asked her once Jesse was inside the house.

“I’m not sure. Maybe not right now”

“Do you wanna stay here?”

Ellie considered the place and then looked at Abby.

“What if you show me those dogs of yours?” Abby grinned.

“If that’s what you want…”

“Do you?” Ellie asked suddenly feeling nervous. What if she was imposing?

“I just want to be with you, if you don’t mind” Abby said with a smile, tilting her head. Ellie felt happy, really happy.

When Jesse went outside again, he saw Ellie and Abby looking at each other with a smile on their faces.

“That’s my girl” he thought looking at Ellie and thinking that if someone deserved to be happy, it was her.

He walked decisively towards them with a smile. He saw Ellie blushing and chuckled.

“What?” she asked defensively.

“Nothing” he said and stared at her. He liked to do that, and when Ellie couldn’t stand the stare anymore he laughed.

“You’re useless” she said shaking her head.

“So?” he asked taking the reins of the horse. “What’s it gonna be?”

“I think we’ll keep going for a while. I’ll be back though…”

“I know” Jesse said feeling already nostalgic. He was going to miss her.

“Here, take this” he said giving her some food and water. Ellie thanked him with a low voice. She was having a hard time saying goodbye this time. Jesse walked to Abby and hugged her, before letting go he said something to her in a very low voice. Abby looked surprised, but then she smiled and nodded. Then he hugged Ellie and quickly got on the horse.

“Hey, how do you say goodbye to a vampire?” he said to Ellie.

“Ehmm… you got me there”

“So long, sucker!” he said and left her laughing.

They saw him slowly disappear on the distance and then looked at each other, feeling the excitement of a new adventure.


	24. “You’re with me”

“Which way?” Ellie asked when they reached a fork on the road.

“North” Abby answered looking up and around to find the route.

This was a different journey. Ellie felt like she could be herself around Abby, and the fact that there were no secrets between them was something she really valued and loved. They had been walking for a while and she felt actually happy. But there was something bothering her.

“What’s on your mind?” Abby asked when she noticed her deep frown.

“Jesse didn’t ask me about Shimmer…” Ellie said serious and took out the map she had been checking. “He must’ve taken the alternative road”

“So, no infected around. That doesn’t sound bad”

“The horde that attacked Jackson the other day… didn’t seem that big”

“You’re thinking about the horde that attacked the hunters, right?”

“Yeah… maybe it’s nothing, but maybe…”

“We’ll be ready, and we’re gonna kill’em all” Abby said with a wink.

“I like you”

“Well, that’s good to hear” she said smiling.

Ellie jumped over a rock and landed successfully next to her, smiling back. She picked up a stick and started to swing it as a sword. Abby kneeled to pick up one that looked similar.

She poked Ellie with it and they were soon having a duel. Ellie won.

“Hey, I have a trivial question for you…” Abby said to Ellie when she saw her scratching her nose and noticed Dina’s bracelet.

“Oh… ok”

“Dina”

“What about her?” Ellie said when she saw Abby looking at Dina’s bracelet. “That’s just… I didn’t know how. She’d been with Jesse for a long time, so I wasn’t sure.”

“You chickened out”

“Hey! Well… yeah”

Abby laughed, but then stopped when she saw Ellie’s frown.

“I think it’s cute, and well, can’t say I’m not happy that it didn’t work out… you know” she blushed.

Ellie chuckled and poked her, the rematch lasted a little longer, and Ellie won again.

“I can teach you, if you want” she said extending a hand to Abby, who was on the floor after an extremely well done move by Ellie.

“I’d love that. And maybe you can teach me how to craft those trap mine of yours”

“Ok, sounds good. Then you can show me how you do the pipe bombs”

“Deal”

They smiled and continued their journey.

“So… my turn to ask something trivial” Ellie said playing with the strap of her backpack.

“Go ahead”

“Did you have a girlfriend before?” she said blushing, and so did Abby.

“Uhmm… no. It was just, well… Owen”

“Oh, I’m sorry” Ellie said stopping next to her.

“Don’t worry” Abby said looking down. “He was my best friend, and he loved me, I know. I was so blinded by revenge that I missed the opportunity…”

Ellie bit her lip.

“But hey, we had some very good times” Abby smiled fondly at the memories. “So, no Dina, did _you_ have a girlfriend before?”

“Yeah, well… kind of”

“Kind of”

“I guess this is the first time I…”

She didn’t finish the sentence because grunts around interrupted her. One look was enough to make them adopt their killing mode.

Abby went to the left, and Ellie to the right. There were six infected and two clickers. They took their time, and one by one they stealthily eliminated them.

“Anything good?” Ellie asked Abby as they checked the bodies.

“You can say that” she said giving Ellie some ammo. Ellie gave her other supplies in return.

“Nice, we have everything we need to craft bombs, let’s hope we don’t have to use them so soon”

They walked a little more and reached an old town with abandoned houses. On the third house they stopped a little.

“I need a second here” Abby said approaching a workbench on the garage and taking out some parts. She started to work on her gun in order to upgrade it. Once she finished, she took a small pin she had found on the woods at the very beginning of their journey. It was broken and she took this chance to fix it, now that she had finally found a locking pin she needed.

Ellie was resting on the couch, so she couldn’t see it. Abby smiled when she finished, the pin represented a beautiful horse grazing and what looked like a mountain behind it. She took it with a satisfied look and turned to find Ellie deeply asleep.

She smiled at the sight and very quietly she decided to check that every door and entrance was blocked. Once secured, she walked towards Ellie and looked at her sleeping. She looked so calmed, and beautiful. Abby smiled and continued cleaning and upgrading their guns whenever possible. They had found several parts in this little town and Abby was putting all of her knowledge and expertise to use.

An hour later Ellie woke up with a start that made Abby drop the canister she had in her hands.

“Well… good morning” she said picking it up.

“Shit, sorry” Ellie answered as she stretched.

“What for? You looked tired”

“Did you rest?”

“No, how could I with the noise you were making?” Abby said smirking.

“HEY! I don’t snore!”

“Yeah, right!”

Abby laughed at the look on Ellie’s face. She came closer and sat next to her. Ellie gave her a friendly pat on the arm and Abby smiled wide.

“Give me your hand” she said and Ellie looked puzzled. “Just do it” Abby insisted. Ellie obeyed and extended her hand to her.

Abby gave her the pin and Ellie was thrilled. She looked from it to Abby, unable to say a word. Abby kissed her cheek and stood up to gather their things.

“How… where…” Ellie was saying, and Abby just waved a hand, downplaying the gesture, but Ellie was moved. She saw the fixed pin and cherish it. She took her backpack and Abby saw her smile as she secured it between the other ones she had.

“We need to go soon, unless you want to spend the night here”

“No… it’s ok. I’d rather go on a little further. We’re still far, right?”

“Yeah, at least two weeks I think. Could be less… who knows?”

“What do you think?” Ellie asked her.

“I think we can do whatever we want”

They smiled at the endless possibilities.

“Let’s stop in the next town we found”

“Agreed”

They took their things and left the place. It was so quiet that the only thing they could hear were the birds and the wind singing in the trees.

“Still wanna hear about the W.L.F.?” Abby asked after a while.

“Yes, please!” Ellie said suddenly feeling very excited.

“The Washington Liberation Front is a group of survivors located in Seattle. They are somewhat closed to strangers, but they let us join because of our training, and because we were Fireflies”

“You were a Firefly?” Ellie asked impressed.

“I was. Then I was a “wolf”, as the enemy call us. Now I think I’m just Abby” she finished and felt that she would have to deal with Isaac and the rest once they got there.

“Who’s the enemy?”

“Scars. Seraphites. A cult of people that decided to set a war against the W.L.F. to control the city.”

“Scars… are they dangerous?”

“Who isn’t?” Abby asked shrugging and Ellie nodded.

“Have you faced them?”

“Some” Abby said trying to avoid the real answer. There were things she did in the past that she was definitely going to erase.

“What are they like?”

“They don’t use guns, only bow and arrow and other weapons they craft themselves”

“That’s interesting”

“They can be quite brutal too…” Abby said shuddering at the memory.

“So, W.L.F. and Scars. That should be interesting to see”

“Interesting… right”

“You know what I mean”

“Of course I do”

They continued their journey, stopping only to check abandoned towns and eliminating any infected that crossed their way.

“Ellie” Abby said after a while.

“I know” Ellie said looking up.

It was getting dark. The longer they spend together, the less words they needed to communicate. It was as if they’ve been like this for years, instead of days. And the best part was that the feeling was mutual.

The road was full of burnt cars and debris, and Ellie approached to an RV that was on the farthest part of the road. She pulled the door and to her surprise, it opened on the first try.

“Nice!” she said once inside.

“What are you doing?” Abby said from the door.

“Look at this, can you imagine?”

“I can. Reminds me of that rusty bike we found”

“How so?” Ellie said snickering.

“I don’t know, something that looks fun to do with you” she said shrugging. Ellie smiled at her and saw her turning to leave, so she quickly reached the door and grabbed her backpack.

“Come here” she said and they kissed before continuing.

“I wish we could stay here” Abby said looking around

“We could”

“I couldn’t, really. Not on the open road.”

“I see what you mean”

They kept walking until they reached an old building.

“Let’s check that. Be careful” Abby said.

“You too”

They split and searched for any possible shelter, until Abby found the perfect place. It was a circular room with a huge window overlooking the road. There were only two doors that could be blocked.

“Nice…” Ellie said when she found her cleaning the spot where they could lay down.

“Right? And we can have a view an all”

Ellie didn’t look at where Abby was pointing, instead, she was locked in her eyes. Abby welcomed the warm feeling that ran through her body when Ellie looked at her like that. She had come to love this sensation.

“Ok, don’t. Not yet” she said shaking her head and going to secure the doors. They pushed some desks and chairs to barricade them.

Abby looked at Ellie putting some things together. She walked slowly towards her and hugged her from behind. Ellie took her hands among hers and they stayed like that for a second.

“Mmm… love this” she said stroking Abby’s arms and then turning to find her smiling.

They shared another kiss and then lied down in the improvised bed, looking out the window at the dark clouds that were menacing to change the view.

“Looks like we’ll face some rain tomorrow”

“Again”

“We should find you some waterproof shoes next time, what do you say?”

Ellie laughed at the look of her old snickers, she was right.

“That would be great, thanks”

“Why are you thanking me?” Abby said giggling.

“You know…” Ellie said burying her face in Abby’s neck.

Soon they were absorbed in each other, every concern forgotten during this moment of pure bliss.

No external sound interrupted them, and no internal conflict was torturing them. They were free. And it showed, their bodies were yearning the heat, the pressure, the connection.

A thunder was overheard and it soon started to rain heavily. But they didn’t care, they were too busy unleashing a passion that seemed to have been held for too long.

Ellie felt the urgency in Abby’s arms, how she held her tight, and her hands… caressing everything it could. Another thunder was heard and the following lightening illuminated eyes that were darkened with desire.

It was a long night, and they didn’t sleep much.

The next morning, Ellie was staring at the window, watching the constant and heavy rain crashing against it. Abby propped herself on one elbow and started to slowly stroke Ellie’s abdomen with the tip of her finger, smiling at the goose bumps that started to form in her skin.

“That was… new”

“It was perfect” Ellie said with an honest smile and giggling at Abby’s touch.

“We should definitely do this more often”

“That’s a plan I like”

They stayed there looking at the rain for a moment, before hunger decided to make a noisy entrance.

“All right, time to start our day” Abby said giving her a short kiss and standing up. Ellie followed.

“Next time we meet infected or a threat we should craft some bombs. I have plenty of supplies for that”

“Noted” Abby turned with a napkin in her hands.

“What’s that?”

“Breakfast” she said with a smirk and Ellie laughed.

They stayed there until they had everything in order, and they carefully discussed the best routes to follow. Abby pointed different places in Ellie’s map to show her where she had seen Scars that could be a problem.

“We’ll be there before you know it”

“I hope they accept me”

“You’re with me” Abby said feeling important, and the look on Ellie’s face was priceless.

“That sounds… so…”

“What?” Abby said raising an eyebrow.

“Nothing” she said blushing.

“C’mon… what?”

“Stop it! You already know!”

Abby laughed at her and they hugged with a last kiss before departure.


	25. “It sure makes a difference”

Days went by slow, but neither was tired nor bored. They were actually having fun and enjoying everything this journey had to offer.

The sound of running and yelling made them stop and crouch. They were on the highest part of the road and when they looked down, they saw five people running for their lives, chased by infected and clearly out of ammo. One of the women at the back had threw them her gun.

Abby was the first to react, closely followed by Ellie. They reached the survivors, who looked with surprise at the two girls that suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

“Keep going!” Abby yelled and they did.

Ellie looked at her and they nodded, once again Abby to the left and Ellie to the right. They dealt with the group of infected one by one, and when Abby was having problems with a clicker, Ellie pushed her switchblade into its head, making it fell motionless at their feet.

“Thanks” Abby said looking at the creature.

“I guess that’s all of them”

“Yeah, are you ok?”

“Perfect, you?”

“Not a scratch”

They smiled at each other and Ellie suddenly lifted her gun and aimed at a point near Abby’s left shoulder, but immediately lowered it.

A member of the group of survivors was approaching to say thanks.

“You have no idea how much we appreciate this” an old woman said. She had gray hair and looked really tired. Behind her was a blond girl that reminded Abby of a younger version of herself, there was also a woman dressed in dark pants and a hooded leather trench coat, her hair was tied up in a braided crown style, and she had the unmistakable Glasgow smile of the Seraphites. When she noticed Abby looking at her, she tensed and took a defensive posture. Abby did pretty much the same.

“Are you ok?” Ellie asked them.

“I think so”

“Where are you coming from?”

“We escaped from a group of men that were taking us who knows where…” the woman looked around worried, as if they could jump on them at any time.

“You should go to Jackson” Ellie said without hesitation. She took out her journal and started drawing a quick map to help them get there. Abby’s mouth was curled up in a smile, and when she looked away from Ellie, she saw the woman with scars staring at them. Her smile immediately faded away.

There were two other women at the back, looking around for any possible threat. One of them had long hair tied up in a ponytail and the other had short hair that reached her ears. They all looked extremely tired and beaten.

“Ok, this should do” Ellie said cutting the piece of paper and giving it to the older woman.

“This is really… I don’t know how to thank you” she said to Ellie with tears in her eyes, and hugged her out of the blue. For a second the idea of pushing the woman away crossed Abby’s mind, but it was just a hug. She was surprised to feel that intensity towards a stranger. It was Ellie. She couldn’t help feeling protective.

“You should get there in a couple of days. I marked the places where you can find shelter too”

“Please take this in return” the woman started rummaging in her small bag.

“There’s no need, really” Ellie said trying to stop her, but the woman insisted.

“Don’t be silly, I want to give you something. It’s not much, but I think you could use it” she slowly took out a sort of tube that separated in different parts between her fingers.

“You just have to put these here… wait” the woman was having trouble to show the artefact, and she was softly replaced by the woman with the ponytail. “Let me” she said carefully taking the things out of her hands.

The older woman thanked her and continued talking.

“My friend here made one of this for all of us” she made a gesture to the woman with the scars, who just looked away. “I never have the time nor the energy. You could do great with it” she finished.

“This is really cool, thank you so much” Ellie said examining the blowgun and the darts with glee.

“So, Jackson. Is there someone we should talk to? I wouldn’t want them to shoot us by mistake”

“They won’t. Here, let me just…” Ellie said asking for the piece of paper and writing some names at the back. “Tell any of them that Ellie, sent you. Ellie and Abby” she corrected at the end, making Abby smile.

“You two are together?” the woman in the trench coat asked looking serious.

“Is that a problem?” Ellie asked defensively and taking everyone by surprise.

“Of course not. I was just asking” she said and Abby looked from one to the other, feeling kind of proud.

“All right, let’s just continue our journey” Ellie walked between them and started to say good bye.

“Have a safe travel” the woman said with a smile. The others were already ahead checking the road.

“You too” Ellie said waving.

Once they were out of earshot, she looked at the blowgun and frowned.

“Hey, that woman with the scars… was she?”

“Yes. They’re all like that. She must’ve deserted”

Ellie considered the answer and thought about how far people would go for a living. In the end it was all about survival. She was frowning and deep in thought when she stumbled.

Her face was an inch from the ground when she felt being pulled by the waist.

“Hey, watch where you’re going” Abby said with a chortle and helped her stand on her feet again.

“Sorry, I was thinking about the Scars”

“Oh yeah?”

“How far would people go in order to survive?”

Abby looked at her serious face and then at the distance, where the group of women had left.

“I think that depends on the person… Some people need water, food and shelter. Others would require a lot more”

“A lot” Ellie said squinting.

They reached another division and they were considering the options.

“We should follow the road, but not in the open” Abby said checking the area.

Ellie was about to answer when she saw something shiny next to Abby’s shoe. She held her breath for a second.

“So?” Abby said with her back to her.

“Uh? Oh yeah! Sure” Ellie said absentmindedly and Abby turned just in time to see her picking up something from the ground.

“Oh man! Why did you have to turn?!” Ellie said with frustration.

“You sounded weird” Abby was covering her mouth with her hand, and the contained laugh made her shoulders move up and down.

“Yeah, I was focused on something” Ellie said with a pout.

“I can see” Abby tried to sound serious.

“Well. Did you see it?”

“What? The coin you just picked up?” Abby was now laughing out loud.

“Damn it, Abby!” Ellie said and laughed too.

“Can I?”

“No, let me at least clean it for you”

“Ok, I promise I’ll be surprised”

Ellie walked away pretending to be in a huff, and stopped when she reached the end of the road.

“We need to go down there” she said looking down. “Be careful, looks like a long fall”

“Oh… ok. See anything useful?” Abby said grabbing to whatever she found first.

“Are you scared?” Ellie asked slowly.

“If we’re being honest… I am a little scared of heights”.

“Ok, let’s do this the Jesse way then” Ellie said with a wink and started carefully searching around the edge for anything that could be of use. Abby followed her with her eyes, holding tight to her improvised lifeline.

“What about this?” Ellie said grabbing a long root that could be used as a rope.

“Is it safe?”

“Gotta try it” Ellie said tugging it.

“Alright, I trust you. If you think it’s safe, then go ahead”

“Great, now I can’t blame you if I fall”

“Then don’t fall”

“Funny”

“Alright, go”

“Yes, ma'am”

Abby let out a chuckle and held tight to the root without looking down until Ellie landed safely after what felt like an eternity.

“Ok, your turn. Take your time” Abby heard Ellie’s voice from below. Way below.

She sure took her time, and when she got next to Ellie she was sweating.

“You did great” Ellie said giving her a quick kiss that took her by surprise.

“Useful little thing” Abby said at the root and sighed when she looked up.

“Ok, what now?” Ellie said looking at the road ahead.

“Now we go on”

They walked for a couple of hours, exchanging ideas about how life was before the outbreak, both recalling what they had been told. How they had found dear friends, and lost them. The first time they had to kill and how they had faced vicious men.

“Cannibals…” Abby let out a whistle when Ellie told her about David and his crew.

“And I bet more than that” Ellie’s eyes darkened at the memory. She had thought about that event over the years, knowing that it had been a turning point in her life.

Abby noticed the change in her body language and gave her the time to process the feeling. She saw her frowning, clenching her fists, tensing and kicking a rock a little too hard. Until she finally relaxed.

“I know that it changed me, but I like to think it made me stronger”

“I understand the feeling”

Ellie’s frown was replaced by a smile and she nodded. If anyone could understand her, it was the girl who was looking at her with tender eyes, and with a grin that was mirroring her own.

Hours became days, and after a week and a half they stopped at another town in ruins.

So far they had been lucky, the last survivors they met was the group of women that should be in Jackson by now. Ellie mentioned this to Abby and they talked about how the others would react to the news of them being a couple.

“I don’t think that woman will say it” Abby said dismissively.

“You’re right. Besides, I’m sure Jesse knows already. Not that he told anyone, but still”

“Does that bother you?”

“What? Of course not. You?”

“Why would it?”

“I don’t know”

“It doesn’t. On the contrary…”

Ellie blushed and gave her a pat on the back, but Abby turned at that exact moment. She raised an eyebrow when she saw Ellie’s hand on one of her breasts.

“Yeah… I wasn’t talking about _that_ ” she said and Ellie turned red and removed her hand in a flash.

“That wasn’t my intention! You can be so mean sometimes” Ellie said pushing her away with a smile.

“Yeah, I’ve been told that”

They dealt with several infected on the way, but nothing too demanding.

“A little competition doesn’t hurt, right?” Abby said with a smirk holding the blowgun.

“I accept the challenge” Ellie said taking it from her hand.

“Remember, right eye”

“I know! Just look and be amazed” Ellie said confidently as she took her position and aimed at the infected that was slowly walking in circles.

The dart hit the mark and the infected screamed. Abby took him down with an arrow that flew straight to its head.

“I think I prefer crossbows”

“Don’t avoid the inevitable” Ellie said walking towards the dead creature. She looked at it and used the tip of her shoe to turn its head and reveal a dart deeply embedded in the right socket.

“Well done. My turn” Abby said eager.

At the end Abby won, beating Ellie by two accurate shots.

“You’re really good with that. I wonder what that Scar woman would say if she saw you” Ellie said and they both laughed heartedly at the thought.

Cutting through the reservations and forests had proven really effective. Hunting was something they both mastered, so they had shared several perfect meals so far. Except for one that was to be forgotten, and they vowed to never mention again.

“We should be reaching Washington soon” Abby said looking at her hands and then up, drops fell on her face.

“We need to find a place soon, looks like heavy rain” Ellie said looking at the dark clouds that were quickly approaching their location.

“Good thing you’re wearing appropriate footwear now”

“It sure makes a difference” Ellie said double tapping her new shoes.

They found a store with boarded windows. The door was locked, but the window on the back was broken.

“Ellie” Abby said in position to help her climb up.

“It’s ok, this door is closed too. Wait a sec” Ellie said from the inside.

Abby listened something heavy being pushed and suddenly Ellie’s face appeared above her.

“Alright, gimme your hand”

Soon they were together on the other side.

“Ok, guns ready” Abby said taking out hers and so did Ellie.

The store was empty. They unlocked the door and checked that they had a way of escaping in case of a sudden attack.

“What is this?” Ellie said looking around at the different things hanging from the walls.

“Looks like a novelty store” Abby said examining a fake gun. When she hit the trigger, a flag with the word “BANG!” came out of it. “Yup, it’s exactly that”

“People had weird priorities”

“Can you imagine? No infected on the streets, no spores that could instantly kill you…” Abby said and Ellie rubbed her neck.

“Well, I can’t say I’m bothered by spores, but I do like to imagine a world with real people, not only survivors”

“A world where you can actually walk around without any guns”

“I don’t know. I mean, I like the idea, but who knows what the dangers were back then”

“You’re right…” Abby said taking something big from behind a cabinet. It was a guitar.

“Is it a real one? Or a novelty one?” Ellie said chuckling.

“How should I know? Never played it”

“Really? Well, let’s see what we can do about that” Ellie said taking the guitar and after a standard tuning, she sat and play some notes.

“You look good” Abby said with a smile. “ _Good_ ” was the only word she could find that wouldn’t make her blush.

“Thanks, the idea is to _sound_ good though” Ellie said with a chuckle and started to play a beautiful and melancholic tune.

Abby sat in front of her, admiring the movement of her hands on the chords and clapped when she finished.

“What was the name of that girl in Jackson, the one who helped me with my shoulder?”

“Beth?”

“Yeah, what’s her favorite song?”

“D’you wanna hear it?”

“No, I just wanna know the name…” Abby said rolling her eyes, but unable to hid her smile. Ellie snorted and started to play and sing.

_Sometimes I feel like I don't have a partner_ _  
Sometimes I feel like my only friend  
Is the city I live in, the city of angels  
Lonely as I am, together we cry…_

Her voice was clear and powerful at the same time. Abby closed her eyes and opened them in awe when Ellie reached the chorus, feeling a jolt in her stomach. The lyrics were so spot on, and she added her own melancholy and energy to them.

At the end they were singing together, and when she finished, Ellie rested her chin on the guitar and looked fondly at Abby, who had a beautiful blush covering her cheeks.

“You sing really well” Ellie said putting the guitar aside. She kneeled before Abby and kissed her. Then she turned, took the instrument, and gave it to her.

“Alright, lesson one...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song Ellie sings with Abby is "Under the Bridge" (RHCP).
> 
> * How surprised were you when you heard Ellie singing "Take on Me"? I was way over the moon! So taking into account that she plays A-ha and Pearl Jam, well... Why not? :)


	26. “Fuck FEDRA”

“Is it normal they hurt so much?” Abby said pinching her fingertips.

“It is, but only for a while. You’re doing great” Ellie said and planted a kiss on her cheek.

She was standing behind her to help her get the right chords, thinking that it was the perfect excuse to be as close as possible and admire her from a whole new angle.

“I have the best teacher” Abby answered quickly.

“Don’t push it” Ellie said smiling.

“Alright, you taught me well?”

“I’ll take that”

“Bossy”

“Yeah, I’ve been told that” Ellie said with a smirk.

“Alright, one last time” she said and Abby positioned her fingertips in the strings Ellie indicated. At the end, she was able to play a fairly good tune.

“That was really good for a first time!”

“I guess we’re getting good at “ _firsts_ ”” Abby said distracted, and they blushed furiously.

“Ok, I think we can stop here” Ellie said taking the guitar from her and motioned to put it away, but Abby stopped her.

“Would you play one last song? Please? I wanna hear something you like”

“If you insist”

“I do”

Ellie grabbed the guitar and closed her eyes. “ _Do you wanna hear something?_ ”, he had said that night.

As she started playing, images of Joel crossed her mind.

_“If I ever were to lose you_

_I'd surely lose myself_

_Everything I have found, dear_

_I've not found by myself”_

She remembered fondly how he helped her find the light in the darkest hours of her life. How she felt when he almost died that winter. The movies they had seen and the places they’d visited.

“ _I would do it all over again_ ”

His words were embedded in her heart. She understood him now. And as tears ran through her face she looked at Abby, and found her in a similar state.

Her father had been in her thoughts all this time, but now she could feel the difference. The memory was no longer tarnished with hatred, but instead it was all about love. Abby let the tears ran freely, Ellie’s voice was like a balm for her mauled soul.

Ellie stopped playing and slowly put the guitar away, dried her tears, and saw Abby doing the same.

“That was beautiful”

“One of Joel’s favorites” she said in a husky voice.

Abby pictured a younger Ellie learning from Joel, and found herself smiling at the thought.

“Thank you for sharing that”

“My pleasure”

“We should start looking for a better room to spend the night”

“On it” Ellie said standing up and extending her hand to Abby, who then gave her a hug that soon changed from a tender caress to something much more urgent.

The rain hit hard that night, and it didn’t stop the next morning.

They walked tirelessly, still enjoying the company and the constant learning from each other. Abby took any opportunity they had to show Ellie the different ways to find footprints and how to follow a trail. She loved to see her so focused and eager to learn.

“So, moss usually grows where?” Abby asked to check Ellie’s attention.

“North side”

“And what does it mean?”

“It means that it’s the side that receives the least sunlight. So that should be north”

“Is there any way to confirm that?”

“Ehm... Spider webs? Moss faces north, spider webs faces south”

“Good girl” she said and Ellie’s smile was wide.

“Remember that there are always exceptions, you just need to keep your eyes open, as usual” Abby said and Ellie nodded in agreement.

“Fuck Fedra” Ellie read a graffiti out loud after a while.

“We’re getting near” Abby said feeling anxious.

“What does it look like?”

“You’ll see” she said not really considering the question.

Abby couldn’t help thinking that the last time she was here she was with her friends, and they were in a completely different state of mind. Ellie noticed the change in her body language. She saw her frowning, clenching her fists and tensing.

“ _She lost so much_ ” she thought to herself and kept walking in silence, giving her time to process the feelings.

They were crossing trough a deserted street when they heard grunts coming from a big house.

“Wanna try your new crafting skill?” Abby asked Ellie.

“Definitely” she said enthusiastic, quickly taking out different things from her backpack.

“So, this goes… here, right?” she asked Abby.

“Exactly. What do you think?” Abby asked in return showing her the bomb she had taught her to craft.

“Perfect”

“Let’s do it then”

They slowly and quietly entered through the door and waited behind the furniture. There were three infected in one room, another one walking aimlessly on the hall and two or more could be heard from upstairs.

Abby looked up and gulped. As soon as they threw the first bomb everything would go to hell in seconds.

And it did.

Ellie threw the first bomb and Abby immediately aimed the one she had to the middle section of the stairs. The sound of bodies exploding was something they would never be accustomed to.

“Abby!”

A runner had walked past the explosion and was heading directly to her. Ellie didn’t have time to stop it, because a clicker she hadn’t seen grabbed her by the neck and she started kicking the ground to find balance. She could feel the yells in her ear and the putrid smell of the creature that it was so relentlessly attacking her.

And Abby came to the rescue.

Ellie saw her grabbing the clicker’s arms and kicking it away. Then she shot it in the head, looking around for any other threat.

“Are you ok?” She said asked Ellie.

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah… yes” Abby said checking her arms and legs.

She had trouble fighting the infected off, and for a second there she was afraid being too slow.

“That was close”

“Too close” Abby said still frowning.

“But the bombs worked perfectly”

“You sure like to see the brighter side of things”

“Isn’t it better that way?”

“I guess so

Ellie nodded and started checking the house with an attitude that stole a smile from Abby, despite their recent escape from death.

“These things must’ve been here for a while, look!”

Abby went to see what Ellie had found and her mouth fell.

The kitchen was filled with canned food, and Ellie was taking out different things from a box on the corner.

“It’s like finding a clinic!” she said with a grin as she showed Abby all of the things that were inside and storing them in her backpack.

“That’s definitely the brighter side” Abby answered with a smile and started to do the same.

They left that town with their backs considerable heavier, but satisfied with the result. To top things up, it stopped raining.

“Man, I can’t wait to get there”

Abby wasn’t so sure she shared Ellie’s enthusiasm. It sounded like a nice idea back then, but now that they were getting near, she started to question other things.

“I’m not sure what we’re gonna find there, to be honest”

“What do you mean?”

“We’ve been at war with the Scars for a while now, but before we… ahm… followed the lead, we heard some rumors” she said looking away.

“ _The lead_ ” Ellie thought and shivered.

“Would you go? To war?”

“No” Abby said bluntly.

Ellie looked at her and smiled. She started to imagine her place, the books she must have, the things she used to pass the time. “ _Probably not comics or videogames_ ” she though and snorted.

“What are you thinking?” Abby said amused.

“I was thinking about your place and the things you find entertaining”

“Oh, that… Well, I gotta say, I was very into exercise” she said blushing.

“I can tell”

“Hey!”

“What! It’s true! Look at you!”

“I’ll take that as a compliment”

“I can assure you it is” Ellie said taking her by the arms and giving her a quick kiss.

“So, did you have a routine?” she asked looking ahead.

“Of course. You need to be disciplined” Abby said, starting a long conversation about daily activities in their different settlements.

“Fuck” Abby said making a full stop after a while.

“I guess this wasn’t blocked before” Ellie said looking at the destroyed bridge.

“No, this must’ve been Scars” she said trying to see if there was any other way to cross without having to detour.

There wasn’t.

“Well… I guess we’re gonna have to go a little bit further. There’s no way we can cross here”

Ellie followed her back to the road.

“We should be there before it gets dark”

“Lead the way then” Ellie said and they continued walking.

A couple of hours later they reached what Ellie was so eager to see.

“ _Seattle_ ” she read one of the signs out loud.

Abby’s nervousness was reaching a new level. Her heart was beating hard as she pictured the conversations she was about to have.

“This must be hard for you” Ellie said next to her.

“It is. Never thought I’d be here without Owen, Mel or Manny” she said their names in a different voice.

Ellie held her hand and Abby squeeze it gently. They looked at each other and stayed like that for a moment.

“Ellie”

“Yes?”

“We should keep your immunity a secret”

“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m used to hide it”

“I’m sure you are. Must’ve been hard”

“It was, until now”

With a last smile and a perfect kiss, they continued the rest of the journey.

“There should be a QZ near here” Abby said looking at the buildings ahead, and turned fast when she heard a glass breaking.

Ellie was taking something out of a car.

“What is it?”

“A card” she said a little shy. “Sorry”

“I think you have an obsession”

“It’s not like that, I just like them… besides, I didn’t have this one” she said looking at the card and turning it over to read the description.

“If you say so” Abby rolled her eyes and shook her head, but she couldn’t hide her smile.

They reached their destination in a very short time. The quarantine zone had been abandoned a few years back, and they could see the vestige of what had been a life long gone.

“Who is she?” Ellie asked in front of a graffiti picturing a lady.

“I don’t know, but Scars seem to idolize her”

“Maybe she’s some sort of prophet”

“Maybe. C’mon, we’re gonna have to camp here”

The next morning, they had to deal with a lot of minor chores in order to continue, because it’d been a while since the last time anyone was in that QZ and the gas tanks were empty. Together they found everything they needed and soon they were on their way again.

“Finally” Ellie said when the gate opened. Her face was dirty and a drop of sweat traveled slowly down her face.

They walked heading south this time.

“There should be a W.L.F. post there” Abby said looking at the news station that could be seen not too far away.

“Wanna go?”

“Well, it’s on the way and maybe we could get a ride for the rest of the way”

“Let’s go then” Ellie said walking decisively and Abby followed.

The building was completely silent.

“This looks bad” Abby said when she noticed that.

Ellie checked her guns and prepared for the worst.

The first thing they saw when they entered were the bodies hanging from the ceiling.

“Holy shit!” Ellie said in surprise before she could stop herself.

“Scars” Abby whispered.

“I see what you mean. Looks like a message” Ellie said looking away from the bodies.

“This didn’t happen that long. I have a bad feeling, keep your eyes open”

They explored the place and when they get to the second floor, they found that the door was locked.

“Shit” Abby said trying to open it.

“We can go around” Ellie pointed at the side of the glass windows.

“Yeah… right” Abby said unable to look down.

“Let me go” Ellie put a hand on her shoulder and Abby just nodded.

“Thanks. Please, be careful”

“I will”

Ellie went around, carefully walking on the narrow ledge. Soon she was inside and opened the door for Abby to enter.

The place was so quiet that the only sounds came from their footsteps. Abby went straight to the room at the back, where a radio could be heard.

She opened the door and stood still, looking down.

“Leah?” she said kneeling next to a body impaled with arrows.

Ellie checked the place for anything useful, not wanting to interrupt her. She noticed a bag under the bed.

Abby was shocked. She looked from the motionless body to Ellie, and saw her looking at the bag. She took it out just in order to do something, not really seeing anything.

The first thing she saw when she opened it were old pictures of her friends. That and Leah’s body really took a toll on her.

Ellie crouched next to Abby, who buried her face in her shoulder, crying for yet another friend lost in this sick, sad world.

She had thought Leah had died eaten by infected, which was horrible. But this, this was hard to take. It meant she had arrived safely back, if only Owen and the rest had done the same.

Would they be dead here too? Maybe they would’ve fought together against the Scars, and win… there were so many thoughts crossing her mind that her head started to ache.

Ellie slowly stroked her head and the nape of her neck…

Abby’s sobs slowly started to fade and she relaxed under her touch.

“Thank you” Abby said standing up, taking the bag with her.

They went downstairs. The bodies hanging were a horrible view, but they decided to ignore them. Voices alerted them of people nearby.

“Hey you! Stop right there!”

Abby recognized the voice and lowered her gun, showing her palms up. Ellie imitated her.

“Abby?”

“In the flesh”

“Where the fuck have you been? Isaac’s been looking for you”

“I figured. I’ll go see him now”

“Fucking Scars…” he said looking up.

“Leah’s dead”

“What?”

“We found her body upstairs”

At the “ _we_ ” he looked at Ellie.

“Who’s this?”

“None of your business” Abby said quickly.

“Alright, alright, no need to know”

He looked away and told the others to go upstairs.

“D’you have an extra car we could use?”

“No, we were assigned just one. Isaac’s been regrouping every resource available”

“I see, thanks anyway” Abby nodded as a goodbye.

“ _May your survival be long_ ” he said to Ellie instead of Abby, who didn’t appreciate that move.

“ _May your death be swift_ ” Ellie answered without a hinge of doubt in her voice and looking straight into his eyes. He smiled and nodded, and with a last nod at Abby he went upstairs behind the others.

“That was amazing” Abby said to her as they left the building without another glance.

“I have the best teacher” Ellie answered snickering and accelerated her pace. Abby cracked a little smile, which only Ellie could do in such a time.

They walked tirelessly one more time.

“We’re here” Abby said at the big stadium that could be seen ahead.

“It’s huge!” Ellie said admiring the place.

Abby looked serious.

“Are you sure you wanna do this?”

“I have to” she said with a faint smile.

The gates were closed and they were stopped by armed guards that let them pass when they saw Abby.

“Isaac wants to see you” a guy told her in a serious voice when they crossed the gate.

At that, Abby frowned and nodded. She looked at Ellie and they walked alongside.

There was a lot of movement around, people were carrying crates of ammo and supplies.

“I’m gonna leave you in my room and then I need to go talk to Isaac, is that ok?”

“Sure, are you gonna be ok?”

“Yes”

Abby’s eyes darkened and Ellie looked away fast, she would need to learn how to behave in front of other people. These weeks had been a wonderful oasis between all of the dangers and losses that surrounded them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the double post. I tried to update the chapter, but since it insisted in staying the same, I had to delete it.
> 
> There was a big mistake in the order of events, and in geography... :P


	27. “Fuckin’ Scars”

They walked towards a sort of reception where Abby was greeted with interest and Ellie felt watched. After collecting a few things they moved on until Abby stopped dead.

“Jordan?” she said to a guy that was crouching in the middle of the hallway, looking at the floor.

He turned and it took him a minute to assimilate her presence.

“Abby!” he said and hugged her, then he looked at Ellie.

“This is Ellie, a friend”

“Hi” she said extending her hand and Jordan shook it.

“Where have you been?” he asked Abby.

“I ran into a horde…”

“Shit. Owen, Mel and Manny went after you, where are they?” he said looking around as if they were coming behind.

“They’re… gone” she looked down and Jordan was speechless.

The silence was hard to take, but neither was able to say another word. Abby could feel her heart being ripped out of her chest. Now that she was talking to Jordan she couldn’t help but think that their deaths had been entirely her fault.

“How?” he said aghast once he recovered his voice.

“Hunters” she said with a fierce look in her eyes.

“Who the fuck are they?” his voice was shaky, charged with a newfound hatred.

“Just another group of sick bastards. I think they’re gone though, or at least a big part of them”

“Shit… I can’t believe it”

Ellie quietly walked away for a second to read a bulletin board filled with notes.

“So? Did you do it?” Jordan asked and then looked at Abby with bloodshot eyes.

“Yes. He’s dead” she answered in a low voice without taking her eyes off him and glad that Ellie wasn’t at her side to listen.

“At least it wasn’t in vain”

Abby couldn’t think of anything to say. She had other news for Jordan and she was trying to find the right words, but he must’ve read the changes in her facial expression.

“I heard about Leah” he said looking away.

“I’m so sorry”

“Fuckin’ Scars”

“Fucking world” Abby added and he nodded.

They saw him went away downcast and sad.

“Are you ok?” Ellie asked concerned.

“Yeah. It’s just… They’re gone because of me” she said and Ellie quickly stopped her from going down that road.

“Remember what we talked” she said caressing her face.

Abby looked at her and breathed. She closed her eyes and took a couple of seconds to consider her words, remembering one of the longest talks they’d had about guilt and revenge.

“ _Time heals all wounds_ ” she said remembering an old quote and saw Ellie quickly taking out a small notepad to write it down. Her frown slowly morphed into a little smile.

They started walking again.

“So, I’m Ellie to him, but no one to the other guy”

“That other guy is a bigot. I know him well and I don’t wanna start a fight”

“Would you start a fight?”

“For you? Definitely” she said, making Ellie smile.

They walked the rest of the way deep in conversation, Abby explaining everything they passed on the way.

“Please don’t look at the mess. I had a lazy roommate” she said with a knot on her throat as they were walking up the stairs.

Ellie noticed it and squeezed her hand. Abby just nodded.

“This is it” she said and opened the door to reveal her room.

Ellie didn’t know where to look, she was eager to see everything at once.

“Are you gonna go now?”

“Yeah, I have to”

“I’ll wait”

“Will you be ok? Do you need anything?”

“Yes, and no” Ellie answered with a smile.

“I’ll be back as soon as possible”

“I know”

They stared at each other. Abby didn’t manage to leave her, and Ellie walked slowly towards her.

“Go” she said and turned her around.

Abby smiled and closed the door behind her.

Ellie looked at the door and sighed. This was the first time they’d been apart since what felt like a lifetime.

She was picking up a book that was lying on the bed when she heard the door opening abruptly. She turned with her heart beating hard.

It was Abby.

She shut the door behind her, walked decisively towards Ellie and pushed her against the wall. Before she could say anything, Abby was giving her one of the most passionate kiss they’d ever shared. And she returned it with the same intensity.

“Whoa, what happened?” Ellie asked out of breath once they fell apart.

“I walked a few steps and realized this was the first time we’re apart, after so long”

Ellie hugged her tight.

“I was thinking the same thing”

“Alright. Now I can go a little more prepared”

“I’ll be right here, waiting for you”

With a last kiss she turned and left the room again. Ellie touched her lips and smiled.

Abby was walking with a decisive step. She was ready to face Isaac and anyone else.

“Abby! Good to see you!” a guy greeted her.

“Hey! What’s up?”

“You were gone way too long. Isaac’s been looking for you”

“I know. Is he in the briefing room?”

“I guess, unless he went to the base”

“Sure. Thanks” she left in a hurry.

Meanwhile, Ellie was having a great time examining Abby’s things.

“This must’ve been one of her roommate’s conquers” she said grabbing a pink bra “ _I hope_ ” she said and snorted as she put it in a corner with a pile of dirty clothes.

She found everything incredibly attractive and interesting, and the view was breathtaking.

Abby was intercepted by two guys.

“Abby, finally. Where are Owen and Manny?”

“Hi, I’m looking for Isaac” she said serious and they nodded.

“He was going to the FOB, but maybe you can still catch him”

“Shit. Thanks”

She hurried off, the last thing she wanted was going to that place again.

Ellie was checking the things they had found and took the time to arrange everything. She eyed the bag they had found next to Leah and let her curiosity lead the way.

Inside she found clothes, a radio, some pictures (she saved one with Abby in one of her inner pockets), and then a dark plastic bag. She took it and was overjoyed when over fifty collectible cards fell to her hands.

“Holy shit!”

Abby finally reached the place she was looking for.

“Abby” a guy said and nodded. Abby did the same.

“Is Isaac here?”

“He just left. You’ll find him in the FOB”

“Shit. I need to talk to him”

“I bet, he’s been looking for you and your crew”

Abby let out a sigh and waved goodbye.

She looked up and decided to go tell Ellie first. This was probably going to take more time than she thought.

When she got to her room, she found Ellie asleep in her bed, cards had fallen out of her hands and onto the floor. Abby smiled at the view and looked around.

“ _Manny_ ”

She was going to miss him, it was hard to be there without him and the others, especially Owen. This place was nothing without them.

She looked at Ellie and felt better in a second. Then she heard a snore and she didn’t hide her snort soon enough, waking her up.

“Oh… sorry, I dozed off”

“I heard”

Ellie shook her head, smiling. Then she noticed Abby trying to say something.

“What is it?”

“I’m gonna need to go to the FOB”

“The FOB?”

“Forward Operating Base”

“Is it far?”

“I’m gonna need a car” she looked complicated.

“Don’t worry about me, if that’s what you’re thinking”

“Of course I am. Maybe we could go together…”

“If that’s gonna be a problem for you, then don’t”

“Leaving you is a problem for me, apparently” she said looking at her and Ellie blushed.

“I understand if you need to do this alone, so please, don’t worry about me”

Abby just nodded and kept thinking.

“Besides, I know how to take care of myself. I’ve been doing that for years before I met you”

“I’ll never question that! I’ve seen you in action” Abby said proud.

“So…”

“So… it’s still difficult”

Ellie looked at her and waited.

“Alright. If you don’t mind, I’d prefer going with you”

“I definitely don’t mind. Just tell me what to do, what to say, or not say…”

“Just be yourself”

“Alright, but don’t be scolding me later”

“I could… scold you”

“Well, I know you can find… ways”

They shared a flirtatious laugh and then started preparing for another trip.

“Are you sure you wanna go? You looked so peaceful there” Abby asked insecure.

“I’m sure, I wanna be with you”

Abby motioned her to follow. She walked towards the stairs that lead directly to the stadium, and Ellie was having a hard time walking straight at the sight of so many activities around them.

“We’ll take a small detour”

“Where?” Ellie said frowning, but Abby just smiled and continued walking.

Soon the mystery was solved, as barks could be heard all around.

“Dogs!” Ellie said trying to contain her excitement.

“A promise made is a promise kept”

Abby talked to a guy with a notebook and after catching up he gave her a set of keys. She signaled Ellie to follow and they reached a huge kennel. One of the dogs was approaching as fast as he could.

“Come here boy!” Abby stroked the big dog that was moving its tail and looking at her with loving eyes.

“How lovely” Ellie said and Abby took her hand and left it in the dog’s head.

“Ellie, this is Bear, one of the best boys of the lot”

“Hi Bear, nice to meet you” she said crouching and letting Bear show his affection.

“Bear, you’re the first to formally meet my girlfriend” Abby whispered at him without looking at Ellie, who had turned crimson red.

They played with him for a while and met other dogs that were happy to say hi, eager for the interaction. Most of them got bored soon and only Bear and a dog named Alice were still circling them.

“Thank you for this” Ellie said truthfully as she threw them a toy for the last time.

“My pleasure” Abby said winking at her and closing the kennel.

When they arrived at the parking lot, they heard a lot of movement.

“What’s happening?” Abby asked the guy in charge with the keys.

“Scars”

“Where?”

“On the road to the FOB”

“Shit, we’re going that way”

“Then I advise you to take some ammo before leaving” he said tilting his head towards the ammo crates that were in the room next to them.

“Great” Abby said and together with Ellie they started checking their ammo.

“You have ammo for this! Finally!” Ellie said taking a pair of clips for the semi-auto rifle she found some time ago.

“Yeah, it’s one of the standard guns around, the recoil is a bitch though”

“I’ll keep that in mind”

“Under other circumstances, I would’ve taken you to the shooting range”

“Another rusty bike” Ellie said and Abby smiled at the reference.

A few minutes later they were on their way to one of the trucks.

“Where’s Jordan?” a guy yelled.

“I’m coming! Hey, you’re coming with us?” he said to Abby.

“Yeah. I need to see Isaac”

“Fuckin’ Scars are attacking the road between our posts”

“How many?”

“We don’t know. They’ve been hiding in the trees”

“Noted. We’re not taking dogs?”

“Not for this, they’ve killed too many so far”

People were signing up for guns and equipment and the trucks had the motors running.

“S23 ready to go!”

“That’s our ride” Abby said to Ellie.

They jumped on the back of a truck with Jordan and left, quickly followed by two other trucks.

The sound of urgent whistles made them sit straight and grab their guns in a hurry. Soon all they could hear were whistles and gunfire.

“Ambush! Stay low” Jordan yelled as he started firing his rifle.

“Kill the wolves!” one of the three men that were riding horses yelled.

“Shit, they were waiting for us!” Jordan said loading his gun.

“Bring them down!” another man yelled.

“The fuck are they coming from?” Abby said when two other riders joined the pursuit.

“Way to go!” Jordan said when one of Ellie’s explosive arrows took one of them down.

The truck took a sharp turn and they had to grab for dear life.

“Cut them off!” someone yelled and then whistles could be heard all around.

And then it was hell on earth.

A molotov cocktail landed in the windshield, making the driver lose sight.

“Hang on!” he said and then they fell how the car started to go down a road, until it crashed into a wall.

“Are you ok?” Ellie asked Abby, who nodded.

Together they climbed down and saw Jordan checking the driver. He shook his head, the driver didn’t make it.

“OK, the FOB is close, c’mon”

Whistles could be heard closer by the second.

“We’re too exposed. Let’s get inside”

They entered the building they had crashed into and Abby closed the metallic shutter.

“Alright, let’s be smart about it” she said to both of them and Ellie recognized Jesse’s words.

“Ellie, you stay with me”

Jordan went to the left and Abby and Ellie took the right. Three flashlights suddenly came to life and it was the only source of light in the dark warehouse.

They were walking cautiously and in silence and they were smart in doing so, because what they saw once they passed the big shelves was the worst scenario possible.

Over a dozen infected were trapped inside. And they all looked and screamed at their direction when Jordan’s radio suddenly emitted a sound.

“Fuck” he said.

All hell broke loose and Abby lost sight of Ellie and Jordan. She was shooting whatever she had in front of her, trying to ignore that the only gun firing was hers.

“Ellie!” she yelled as she changed from the rifle to the shotgun, killing two infected at the same time and then three more in a quick procession.

“Ellie!”

No answer.

“Jordan!”

The same.

“Fuck!” she yelled and started climbing to a big shelf. Infected gathered at her feet and their pressure finally made the whole structure gave in.

Abby was trapped beneath a beam. She could see a clicker coming her way and then she saw a pair of shoes that looked familiar.

“Motherfucker!” Ellie’s voice was sunlight in the dark.

And then it was silent and dark again. She heard a flashlight shaking and then she saw Ellie.

“Come here” Ellie said lifting the beam and Abby was finally able to get out.

“Thanks”

“I think that’s it”

“Yeah, apparently. Jordan?” Abby asked around.

“Over here” he said walking slowly towards them.

“You ok?” Abby asked, unable to see his face in the darkness.

“Yeah, just a little beaten”

“Ok, let’s go then, we shouldn’t be too far now”

Ellie walked next to Abby and Jordan was right behind them. No one saw him pressing hard a certain spot in his arm.


	28. “Surprise motherfuckers!”

The calm didn’t last.

Two shamblers made a very loud entrance and soon the only sound was coming from their guns. It took several clips of ammo and three molotovs to end the nasty creatures.

“Fuck this place” Abby exclaimed when they finally reached a big room that was cleared.

“Guys?” Ellie said walking towards a closed door that looked like a way out.

“Let me help you” Abby said and together they pushed it open.

They walked into an old greenhouse that had seen better days in the past.

“ _Eugene would've loved this_ ” Ellie thought as she walked along the shelves, looking for supplies.

“You ok?” Abby asked Jordan.

“Yeah, you?”

“Yeah, let’s find a way out”

“Sure, go ahead”

Abby saw Ellie picking up something with glee in her eyes.

“ _Probably another card… what a junkie_ ” she thought and chuckled before picking up some parts she could see laying around.

Jordan noticed this and raised an eyebrow. Abby was… happy.

“ _Yes!_ ” Ellie thought as she picked up a small coin that was on top of a table.

“ _Massachusetts_ ” she read before putting it away, safe in her new “Abby pocket”, where it joined the other coin and Abby’s picture.

“Over here!” Jordan yelled as he jumped over a wrecked car.

The three of them looked at the open space that was in front of them.

“FOB’s dead ahead” he said.

“No Scars in sight” Abby said looking around.

“They’re out there” he added.

“Yeah, let’s keep moving” Abby said and jumped down.

"There was a time when we could pass through this area without getting jumped by Scars" Abby said to Ellie as they walked together.

"Days gone" Jordan said in a low voice.

“What happened?” Ellie asked interested, starting a dialogue between Abby and Jordan.

“We found an entire squad strung" he said and spat on the floor.

"You know that was a retaliation for shooting those kids..."

"Ok, but... those " _kids_ " attacked us first. What would you do?"

"I don’t know... maybe not kill them?"

"I’d rather save our people"

"But they were just kids..."

"Not our fault. Those deaths are on them"

Ellie thought about “ _her people_ ”. Would they do something like that? Probably not. Not to kids at least.

"Not to jinx things... but it's very quiet out here" she said all of the sudden.

"Let’s keep our eyes open" Abby pointed out.

She walked towards a door and tried hard to open it.

"Something's blocking it" she pushed harder, with no success.

"Maybe there’s another way in" Jordan said looking up.

"Up here" Abby said pointing at a cable that was dangling from the roof.

"Could you check what's up there?" she said to him.

"I would, but I think I twisted my arm” he said looking away.

“I can go, boost me up” Ellie said and climbed up without much effort.

Once on the roof she saw that the other end of the cable was caught on something. She rolled it in her arm and then threw it down.

"There you go! Come on up" her face appeared in the border of the building, looking down at Abby.

“Show-off” Abby said.

"I'll stay here in case anyone else decides to show up" Jordan said avoiding Abby’s eyes.

"Ok. I’ll try open the door from the other side"

"See anything interesting?" Abby asked Ellie once she was next to her.

"No sign of Scars" Ellie was using the sight on her rifle to see beyond.

"Whoa, that's a long way down" Abby was looking through a broken skylight.

"Just don’t look" Ellie said to her as she started recoiling the cable to use it again.

"Wanna go first?" she offered the cable to Abby, who took it decisively and started climbing down.

It took her only a couple of seconds. Then Ellie did the same.

"We're in!" she yelled at Jordan.

While Ellie scavenged around, Abby moved an old vending machine that was blocking the door.

"Alright, come in, quick!"

Jordan came through and closed the door.

"Thanks" he said and Abby noticed him too serious.

"What is it? You ok?"

"Yeah, just tired"

"We can go through here" Ellie's voice reached them and they walked towards her.

"Check it out!" she was looking in awe at a big boat hanging in the middle of the warehouse.

"Looks like some kind of boat workshop" Abby said at her side.

"We should mark this place... Command's always on the lookout for spare parts" Jordan said.

He saw Ellie taking out her map to make a quick annotation, and then noticed Abby looking fondly at her. His lips curled into a small smile.

Abby walked towards a workbench and was soon joined by Ellie.

“Oh, you found that part! Are you gonna use it?”

“Of course, and don’t look at it like that, find your own parts” Abby said shooing her away.

“Hey! I just wanted to see”

Abby smiled, took out the semi-auto rifle Ellie had on her back and started upgrading it. She gave it to her when finished. That happy face was worth all the parts she could find.

“Thank you” Ellie said truly grateful and eager to try the new upgrade.

“You’re welcome” Abby said nodding politely.

After a couple of minutes, she walked away from the workbench with two pipe bombs in her hands.

“Take this, just in case you need to do some serious damage” she said to Jordan, who turned his back at her.

“Could you put it in my bag?” he said and Abby did.

He walked to a huge metallic gate that was on the farthest end.

“We need to open this”

Abby took the handle and started cranking it up.

Ellie was completely hypnotized. She was staring at her muscles, admiring how they seemed to have a life of their own as Abby pulled as hard as she could to move the heavy chain.

She was so focused on her that she genuinely screamed and jumped when the chain cut, abruptly closing the gate and leaving Jordan on the other side.

“Shit… Sorry!” Abby yelled to the door.

“You two ok?” he yelled back.

“Yeah, just hang on, we’re gonna find a way”

They looked around and Ellie pointed to what looked like a hatch on the roof.

“Right… of course” Abby said trying not to measure how high that was and looking for a way up.

There was a door on the second floor, but it was locked.

Ellie found a big cage and waited for Abby to boost her up. Once there she entered a room and opened the door from the other side for Abby to enter.

“Now what” Ellie said looking at the huge boat in the middle of the room.

“Maybe we can find a way over there” Abby said, then she picked up a ladder and placed it to climb up right on top of them.

“See anything?” Ellie asked from below.

“No way out from here” she said and approached an empty barrel to pick up a coin before going down.

“I don’t have this one!” she said to herself… “Oh man, _I’m a junkie too_ ”.

Once she was next to Ellie, she took the ladder again and placed it directly to the boat.

“Smart” Ellie said appreciatively.

They were now on top of the boat, looking for a way to get to the hatch.

“Ever been on a boat?”

“Only for a bit. You?”

“Same. I think I know where we could go next” Abby said with a smirk.

Ellie entered the boat’s cabin and found some supplies. She went outside reading a book.

“What’s that?” Abby asked her.

“Something you may find interesting” she said showing her the cover.

“Oh! Been wanting to read something like that”

“Perfect. Now how do we get to the hatch?”

It took them only a minute to figure out what to do, and Ellie carefully grabbed Abby by the waist before continuing.

“You’re not going to fall” she said and Abby sighed, careful to not look down.

It wasn’t easy, but sooner than later she was on the other side and then using the rooftop egress.

“That’s where we’re going” she showed Ellie a high building with a banner that read “FOB”.

“Great, let’s get down from this roof first” she answered and they headed towards the stairs that led down.

“Took you a while” Jordan said when they reached him.

“Yeah, it was a little challenging”

“Been quiet out here” he said checking his gun and Ellie noticed that something was off.

“You ok?” she asked him.

“Yeah, I just wanna get there soon”

She nodded and turned, her frown was deep as she was considering the facts. She had seen him a little more distant since the attack in the warehouse, but what was bothering her the most was the fact that she had seen that look before.

“I don’t like it when it’s this quiet” Abby said feeling nervous.

“We’re almost there” Jordan said taking the lead and ignoring the empty houses around.

Abby and Ellie took some time and it paid off, both of them found valuable parts they could use.

“Look at this” Abby said giving Ellie a note.

_Marta:_

_With the truce dead, it’s too risky to keep using this place for meetups. Scars are gonna be swarming all over this area like roaches. I went ahead and cleaned out my supplies already, but I left all your guns in the lockup in case you need them when you arrive. Figure the Scars won’t touch them since the safe is too “old world” for them. Dumb freaks._

_See you soon, be careful._

_Paul_

_PS: Still using “the big win” as the combination._

“ _Old world_ ” Ellie read the words out loud.

“Yeah, they sure learned how to adapt to the _new world_ ”

“And what is “ _the big win_ ”?

“No idea, but a gun cache sure sounds like a big win”

After a while of looking for a way in, Ellie finally entered through a hole in the wall.

“The safe” Abby said kneeling and examining it.

They searched the place until they found what they needed.

“Of course, lottery” Ellie said lighting a cork pinboard that had a lottery ticket with numbers circled in red.

“Try 17, 38, and 07”

Abby tried the numbers as she heard them and the safe opened.

“It actually worked… awesome” she said taking out a hunting pistol and showing it to Ellie.

“Cool”

They went outside and found Jordan standing still.

“Jordan, c’mon!” Abby said and he took his time to answer.

“Tracks look cleared” he said looking down at the road.

“They could still be around” Abby said and saw him going down.

They hurried forward and then they heard voices that made them crouch instantly.

“Each fallen wolf brings us closer to a better world” a man said.

“Shut up you, you’re exposing us. Now… keep eyes” a guy with a huge hammer told him.

They managed to pass through the train yard without being heard and without killing anyone and were now climbing on the abandoned wagons.

“Through here” Abby said crossing to the other side under a chain that was holding a gate closed.

Whistles could be heard all around, making their blood freeze. Bullets, arrows and spears started to follow their direction and they found themselves shooting at anything that moved.

“They’re too many of them!” Jordan said shooting a guy on the roof.

“I’m running out of ammo” Ellie said changing from the semi-auto rifle to her gun.

“Just keep at it!” Abby yelled as she threw a bomb that took two Scars with it.

When things started to look bad they heard yells and a truck approaching.

“It’s our guys!”

A truck tore down the fence and ran over a couple of Scars.

“Surprise motherfuckers!”

“There we go!”

Ellie saw the rest of the Scars disappearing into the woods.

“Cease fire! All cleared!”

“C’mon, let’s go before more of those freaks show up”

They didn’t need to be told twice, and soon they were on the back of the truck.

“Fuck, man, you okay?” a guy asked Jordan as he sat next to him.

“Yeah, just fucking tired”

Ellie was looking at him and he was clearly avoiding to look at anyone.

“Lucky you guys drove by” Abby said to the guy.

“Heard all the shooting”

The road to the FOB felt longer than it actually was. A man’s voice made them look up.

“Open the gates! Let’em through”

The place was huge.

Jordan step out of the vehicle before it came to a full stop and they saw him leaving in a hurry.

“He must be really tired” Ellie said trying not to sound suspicious, but making a mental note about that particular situation.


	29. “Martyr’s Gate”

Abby looked at Jordan going away in a hurry and saw Ellie following him with her eyes. She was about to ask her something when she heard a familiar voice.

“Abs?”

She saw Nora helping some injured people entering a tent when she stopped dead. Abby jumped out from the truck and Ellie followed.

“Abby!” they hugged and Nora dried a tear.

“When Jordan told us he lost you and the other three I feared the worst…”

“Yeah, I got lucky”

“Where are they?”

“They’re gone” saying it again didn’t make it easier.

Nora looked at Abby and just hugged her tight. She let go and examined her closely.

“You know it’s not your fault, right?”

Abby looked away.

“Hey, Manny and Owen would have gone after you no matter what, and you know Mel followed Owen the same way. Death awaits us in every corner, trust me, I know”

“Yeah… it’s just…”

“They knew. Trust me, Abby. They knew the risks”

“And now, being here…”

“I know, I’m gonna miss you”

Abby looked at her and smiled. She liked Nora because it was the only one who never questioned her and always offered support.

“So, who’s that girl you can’t stop looking at?” Nora asked and chuckled when Abby blushed.

“Ellie, we’ve been traveling together for a while now”

“Right. Traveling”

“Hey!”

“What? I’m just happy for you”

“It’s not like that… it’s…”

“I know. At this point we just need good company”

“You’re right”

Abby motioned Ellie to come closer and she introduced her to Nora.

“Nice to meet you” Ellie said shaking Nora’s hand.

“Likewise”

Nora told Abby a couple of things she missed around camp and she noticed several boxes that looked ready for transport.

“So what are you doing now?” Abby asked her.

“I’m shipping out to the West hospital in a few”

“I could help you, but I need to see Isaac first. D’you know where he is?”

“I think he’s in the apartments”

“Right, I’ll go check there” she said and looked at Ellie.

She knew perfectly well what she would find in that building. The smell that was now part of the construction itself, and the constant moaning that came from the dark and cold cells.

“Ellie, would you like to wait here with Nora? I think I need to do this alone”

“Sure, no problem”

“Nora, is that ok?”

“That would be perfect, if you don’t mind helping a bit?” she said to Ellie who nodded happily.

Abby left them together and walked towards the entrance of the apartment building, where she talked to a guy.

“I’m looking for Isaac”

“He’s inside. Go on in”

She followed him. The corridor was dark, but soon they entered a more illuminated area where some guys were playing cards.

“Damn! Look who it is!”

“Hi guys” Abby greeted.

“Isaac’s been looking for you”

“Yeah, I know”

She saw cell after cell thinking that she didn’t miss that place. And she was glad Ellie wasn’t seeing this.

There were prisoners tied up and bleeding, and the smell was awful.

She found a guy sitting in the middle of the corridor and asked him where Isaac was. Screams could be heard from a room nearby.

“He’s been waiting for you, so he won’t mind being interrupted” the man said and started walking towards the room where screams were coming.

He knocked and opened the door.

“Sir, Abby is here”

Abby saw Isaac standing in front of a naked man that was tied to a chair. The cuts all over his arms reminded her of that horrible moment when they found Owen. She looked away and Isaac frowned when he noticed it.

“Keep him awake” he said to the guy who had opened the door and motioned Abby to follow him outside.

“Let’s go up” he said and she followed.

The elevator doors were closing when he talked again.

“So… you finally show up. Jordan and Leah got here a while back and I was wondering what happened to the rest of the famous Salt Lake City crew”

“They’re gone” the more she said it, the emptier those words seemed.

“What happened?” he asked calm, but with an icy voice.

“We ran into some Hunters”

“I see”

“We killed his leader, I think”

“Monroe?” he asked her incredulously.

“You knew him?”

“I did, a long time ago” he said and involuntarily touched a scar he had in his hand.

“So, who is “ _we_ ”?” he asked.

“Someone I met on the way, we’ve been traveling together”

He just nodded and walked around the table to look at a map.

“Heard you ran into some trouble just now?”

“Yeah, we were ambushed near the warehouses. The guys arrived just in time”

Isaac wasn’t paying much attention and Abby looked out the window.

“Never seen the base this packed”

“Give it another day” he said.

“What’s going on?” she asked cautiously.

“These small skirmishes… We can’t keep going like this”

“What are you thinking?”

“Another truce would last only until one asshole of their side or ours unravels the whole thing”

His gaze was lost in the woods.

“No. It has to be all of them”

Abby got goosebumps at the thought.

“There’s a big storm a few days out and we are going to use it to mask our approach” he turned and looked at Abby.

“I wanted Owen and Manny to lead the first wave. You got here just in time” he said and Abby was speechless.

“Pick up your squad and start prepping”

“Sir, I...”

“This is bigger than any of us” he said interrupting her.

“Look through the plans and we’ll talk later” he said and left her alone.

She looked at the plans and marked some spots in her own map. Screams were coming from the closed door again and she left the building as fast as she could.

Ellie was helping Nora and they were deep in conversation about first aid. She was absorbing every piece of knowledge Nora was happily sharing and soon they were exchanging techniques.

She saw Jordan walking on the distance.

“The fuck he thinks he’s going?” Nora said looking at him too.

“I need to talk to him. Be right back” Ellie said and gave Nora the bandages she had been storing.

Jordan was walking fast without looking back. He suddenly turned to the right and crossed a fence to the other side.

Ellie bit her lip and looked back, considering whether to go back or follow. She decided to follow him.

Years of living in a world where anything could happen had taught her that plans could change in a second. She took out one of her cards and pinned it to the fence.

 _“What are you doing?”_ she thought looking at him walking decisively and hid fast when he turned to check that he wasn’t being followed.

Abby found Nora alone. She looked around for Ellie, and when she didn’t see her she felt a shiver running down her back.

“Abs, everything ok?”

“Where’s Ellie?”

“She went after Jordan”

Nora pointed where she had gone.

“Shit. See you later, then”

“Sure”

Abby left without another word and followed the path Ellie had taken. She saw one of Ellie’s cards on the fence and took it.

“Clever” she thought putting it in her pocket and started following the fresh footprints on the mud.

Ellie was crouched and hidden, following Jordan’s every step. He had been hiding too and Ellie had the impression that he was convincing himself. He went on, and so did Ellie.

Half an hour later, Abby saw Ellie crouching behind a car and looking ahead.

“What are you doing?” Abby’s voice startled her, but she didn’t move.

“It’s Jordan. I think he was bitten” she said without further ado.

“Shit. I thought he looked weird” Abby said feeling sorry for him.

They followed him a little further, and then a little more.

“ _Martyr’s Gate_ ” Abby said looking back at the paintings of the Scar prophet.

“I didn’t notice we were this far” she said in a whisper.

“Is that bad?” Ellie asked in the same tone.

“We’ll just need to be really careful. The fuck is he doing?”

Jordan took a deep breath and they saw him taking out his gun and a white cloth. He walked straight to the middle of the street, holding his arms in the air.

A whistle was heard and in seconds the air was filled with them.

“Repented wolf!” one of the Scars yelled.

“Oh my God, Jordan…” Abby said finally understanding his plan.

Ellie looked at him, stunned. A group of four Scars approached him, took his gun and then took him with them deep into their territory.

“What now?” Ellie asked.

“We should try to get back” Abby answered thinking that it wouldn’t be such a good idea to be there when the sun goes down.

They continued with extreme care, their steps were silent and calculated and they were starting to retreat when voices made them stop again.

“May she protect us all”

“This is the farthest I’ve been from Haven”

“At least you are here. How was that year in the watchtowers?”

“I’m just glad the elders agreed I was ready”

“So… what do you think?”

“Well, it’s an honor, but the Wolf lands are more desolate than I imagined. How can anyone live here?”

“Our prophet blessed us when she taught us to live simply”

“Look at this, what a waste” the Scar looked at the wrecked cars around.

“They truly brought on their own downfall”

“May her light guide us through the dark”

They entered the building and Abby and Ellie crouched in the darkness, waiting for an opportunity to go on.

“So many books, so much lost thoughts” a Scar woman was saying as she passed by a bookcase.

“Aren’t you curious about these books from before?” she asked the man that was with her.

“No, and you shouldn’t either. Remember what happened to Noah when they find him with one of their books”

She was looking at the sky and Abby stepped on a piece of wood that creaked under her shoe. The Scar was about to whistle, but Ellie choked her to death before that.

The other Scar must have noticed something, because a whistle was heard. And then a more urgent one, seconds later he appeared gun in hand looking for his friend, but he was quickly subdued too.

They were now deep into Seraphite territory, and Scars were patrolling all around.

It took them a lot of time to continue, because they would hide every time a Scar passed nearby.

They reached a destroyed building and entered cautiously. There were two Scars inside and they waited. And waited.

“Now” Abby said and they attacked at the same time, defeating them with ease.

Ellie swapped the almost broken baseball bat she had with a machete she took from one of the fallen. She examined it and gripped it hard to try it.

They moved on through the collapsed building and it was exhausting, because they needed to avoid Scars and avoid falling.

“I think we walked right into a Scar camp”

They could see wooden shelves and all sorts of tools.

“This is really clever” Ellie said checking the complicated construction and all of the elements around them.

“Clever, yes. But look at this” Abby said giving her a note she found.

Ellie’s face changed as she read it, and returned it to Abby with disgust.

“That’s fucked up” she said and they discussed a little the ceremony described in the note, where they explained why they cut the faces of their children.

They continued, and Abby had the impression that they were getting more into their territory than to the road back to the FOB.

“God, what the fuck did we walked into?” she whispered when they continued and saw an open space filled with Scars patrolling.

Two of them were near and once again they had to wait in silence.

“You seem weary. Do you need to rest?” the Scar asked his partner.

“No, I just don’t like being out here”

“I see what you mean, no trees, no green, the air is stale”

“Once we’re settled in we’ll burn the old pictures and machines, we will plant our seeds and trees. Just as we did back home”

“In time, the earth will reclaim this place. It’ll be as if all this was never here”

“One day the Wolfes will see the path. I hope they do it before they’re destroyed”

Ellie and Abby were as still as possible, but one of the Scars dropped something and when he kneeled to pick it up he saw them.

“Wolves!” he yelled at the top of his lungs.

“Don’t let them escape!”

They were running for their lives when Abby fell and started sliding down a muddy hill. Ellie killed a Scar that was about to shoot her and started to look for a way down to get her.

She grabbed a root that wasn’t as firm as she thought and she lost her rifle trying to hold on. Somehow she got tangled and was trying to set free when she saw Abby struggling with a big woman.

Abby bit her ear and she let her go.

“Grab her!” another Scar yelled as he launched himself to Abby, taking her down.

Two men were struggling to subdue her.

“Get the fuck off me!” Abby yelled and kicked them to get free.

The last she saw was a hammer traveling fast to her head. And then everything was black.

Ellie finally got free. She saw them taking an unconscious Abby into the woods and she got desperate, falling on her knee in her urgency to follow them.

It wasn’t broken or anything, but the pain really slowed her down. By the time she got to where she last saw them, she found three different trails, all of them with footprints.

“I’m coming” she said after examining closely the three paths and choosing one, trusting that she did remember what Abby had taught her about tracking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter may take a little longer... One of my dogs is having a surgery tomorrow (nothing serious) and that bitch is going to be my entire world until she recovers, hopefully soon :) 
> 
> Thank you for reading and for the constant support ❤


	30. “It has to be this way”

Ellie was following the path taken as fast as she could, but her knee was sensible from the fall and she noticed that it hurt a little more with every step.

She continued until the pain she was ignoring turned into something unavoidable that forced her to stop and sit, which was exasperating for someone whose only goal was to move fast.

Every time she pulled the pant leg up, an electric shock traveled down her spine.

“There you are, little fucker!” she said at a little stick that had traveled deep down her skin, just under the knee.

It would have been painful, but with adrenaline pumping in, she removed it without much thought and dressed the wound in no time.

She did the best she could with what she had, eager to be on the go again and knowing that the Scars she had avoided so far will return to that place any moment now.

She got back on track, not as fast as she would have wanted.

Her leg was shaking and it felt numb from the knee down. She knew she just needed to rest to make it better, but right now there was no time for that.

There was only one thought in her mind. One person that made her go on, ignoring the darkness, the rain and the ceaseless pain.

The footprints were vanishing, but she was confident about her choice.

Two Scars were dragging an unconscious Abby under the dark night sky.

She woke up when they threw her violently to the ground. Rain washed away the blood and the mud and made her clothes stick to her cold skin.

The first thing she saw when she looked up was a couple of bodies hanging from a tree… and she saw with horror that they had been disemboweled.

Before she could do anything else, they tied her hands behind her back and put a noose around her neck. She kicked and tried to release from it with all her might, but she felt it getting tighter and tighter as she was being lifted, and then a primal fear took over.

Her legs were kicking the air, desperate to find something to step on. The skin under the rope felt on fire, and the world started to go silent around her.

One of the Scars took a bucket and put it upside down, so that she could touch it only with the tip of her shoes.

She could feel something solid, she could touch it, but it wasn’t big enough to hold her and stop the constant pressure on her neck.

Abby saw a woman staring at her with cold eyes. She had a knife that shone under the burning car that was the only source of light in that part of the forest.

“They are nested with sin” she said pointing the knife at Abby, who looked at it with horror.

The woman lifted her t-shirt to reveal her naked skin, and put the knife closer.

“Free them… that may know my…” she was pressing the tip of the knife when she was interrupted.

With a last look at Abby she slowly took the knife away, leaving a trickle of blood.

Two men were holding a young girl that was trying to get free. The woman walked towards them.

“Yara… where is the other apostate?” she asked the girl and Yara spat on her face.

The woman stood straight, cleaned her face and looked at her with hatred.

“Clip her wings” she said in a calm voice.

The two men held the young girl down, extending her arms.

Ellie was following the glow of something burning that she could see ahead.

She slowly moved on until she heard a woman talking. Hidden from behind a tree she saw Abby hanging from the neck and her heart stopped and went full throttle in a second when she saw the woman pressing a knife into Abby’s stomach.

She gave one step further, gun in hand, but felt a shock on her knee and then it jerked, making her lose balance and falling to the ground.

She forced herself to resist the pain of falling on an injured leg and she could see through her watery eyes Abby’s silhouette hanging, but stepping on something. She wouldn’t dare shooting at the rope from this distance, it was too dark and Abby was moving.

She saw a couple of men approaching and the woman turned. Ellie sighed with relief and started crawling towards Abby.

Abby closed her eyes when she saw one of the men lifting a hammer with the intention to hit the girl, but she didn’t hear screams as she thought she would.

Instead, she heard a gunshot and saw the man with the hammer dead, next to the girl. The other Scar and the woman looked around to find the source of this attack, but they couldn’t see anyone around. Ellie had shot him from her hideout, unable to just watch at them hurting the girl that was trying hard to get free, and she was ready to kill them all from her position.

The man turned to Yara and saw her taking an axe from the dead guy. She hit him hard on the head, without giving him time to react.

The woman quickly took out her gun, but an arrow stopped her from using it against Yara. She started to shoot at the trees instead, trying to catch the attacker, but without seeing anyone.

She saw Yara standing up, but was interrupted once again.

Abby had used her legs to hold her from the neck and Yara buried the axe in her head. Abby tried to use the dead woman as support, but her lifeless body fell to one side, knocking the bucket and leaving her kicking the empty space under her feet.

“Yara!” someone yelled and a boy appeared from behind the trees.

Yara was cutting the rope that was tying Abby to the tree and she fell hard on the floor. She was so relieved to be breathing again that she barely felt any pain.

Yara then cut the rope tying her hands, and Abby quickly took the noose out of her neck, coughing. She stood up, took the axe out of the woman’s head and stroked her neck feeling angrier than ever, the rain pouring down her arms, chest, and the rest of her body.

“She’s one of them…” the boy said lowering his bow, but keeping a strong grip on it.

Yara just looked at him and then they all turned at the sound of footsteps, Lev with the bow aiming again.

“Abby!” Ellie yelled and the three of them turned to see her walking very slowly towards their position.

“Ellie!” Abby said running to meet her.

“Oh Abby”

They had a few seconds of peace and after a quick hug they heard grunts. Ellie winced.

“Can you walk?” Abby asked her, worried.

“Yeah, but not fast enough”

Abby took her in her arms before she could say anything else.

“Oh, ok” Ellie said when she felt her body leaving the ground.

Abby smiled at her, feeling that she will need a lot of time to shake that feeling off, the feeling of dying, the feeling of losing her. Ellie was relishing the close contact, the warmth coming from Abby and her smell, her smile, her eyes…

“We need to move, now” Abby said to the kids and they nodded.

Infected seemed to be coming closer by the second and the rain made it difficult to hear them. Yara picked up a wooden stick and used the flames on the car to lit it as a torch.

“Watch your backs” Abby said to the kids.

She was carrying Ellie and they had just started to move when a couple of clickers and some runners appeared in front of them.

“Put me down!” Ellie said and Abby did.

Abby used the axe to hit right and left. She took out most of them and saw Lev and Yara doing the same. Ellie shot an infected that was about to attack Yara, who thanked her when she saw the creature dead.

When the last one of them fell, they heard more grunts around.

“Wolf! We have to move!” Yara said to Abby and started running towards the woods.

“Where are you going?” Abby asked her as she took Ellie in her arms again.

“Out of these woods! We gotta run”

“Coast is this way” Lev said to them when they all reached him.

The only source of light was Yara and her improvised torch.

They followed her for what felt like an hour, and then Abby saw a creature running near them, using the trees as cover. Another infected ambushed Yara and she displayed an amazing ability to take it out, choke holding it until it fell dead to one side. Lev got to her side and checked on her.

Another creature was about to grab Abby by the arm when Ellie shot it and saw it fall next to them. Abby crushed its skull on the ground.

Lev shot a couple of arrows at another creature and then recovered them.

“I think that was the last of them. You two ok?” Abby asked the kids.

“Yeah” Lev said.

“We have to keep moving before more come” Yara said, already starting to walk again.

Abby looked at Ellie and followed them.

“Every direction looks the same, d’you know where you’re going?”

“It has to be this way” Yara answered.

Abby was behind with Ellie firm in her arms.

“How do you feel?” she asked her, concerned.

“Like we need to do this under different circumstances” Ellie answered with a faint smile.

“I agree” Abby said, smiling too and giving her a quick kiss on the lips.

They ran under the rain, Yara’s torch breaking the darkness and all of them looking around for any threat.

“It’s here” Yara said, crouching next to an opening on the vegetation.

Abby followed them down what looked like a destroyed parking lot. There were a few infected that were quickly eliminated.

She saw Yara kneeling next to a metallic fence and started to pull.

“Lev, get it open” she said and Lev tried, but without much success.

Abby let Ellie stand and grabbed the corner of it and pulled hard until there was an opening.

“Go on” she said to them and they did.

“I got you” Lev said to Ellie when he saw her in trouble crouching.

Abby followed them and before she was completely on the other side she saw the huge woman from before grabbing Yara by the neck.

She launched towards her and knocked her down.

“You!” the woman yelled and Abby saw something familiar on her back.

“Are you wearing my backpack?”

The woman swung a huge pickaxe at her and she dodged the attacks over and over, hitting her from time to time. Ellie saw Abby fighting and instead of being scared, she was excited, and proud. She knew Abby would win, she just knew.

And she did. Abby dodged the woman’s attacks until she finally took the weapon from her.

“No! wait…” the woman said right before Abby plunged the pickaxe on her face, killing her on the spot.

It took some effort to take the backpack from her, but she finally got it.

“You guys all right?” she asked the kids, who just nodded. 

They were looking at the now immobile woman with disbelief and then they looked in awe at Abby.

Abby saw Ellie leaning into Lev, who immediately grabbed her and helped her stand.

Yara walked towards a metallic curtain that served as a door to what looked like a mobile home. She lifted it, motioning them to go inside.

“How’s the leg?” Lev asked Ellie.

“It hurts, but it’s gonna be fine”

“Okay… grab any supply you find” Abby said from the entrance and then looked at Ellie.

The kids were scouting the place and Abby couldn’t resist the urgency of being with her. Ellie felt exactly the same way, and it showed in the way they kissed and hugged.

"Can I check your leg?" Abby said to Ellie, without releasing her from her hug.

"It’s holding ok now, but I think I’ll need to rest a bit when I deal with it, so let’s leave it for later"

Abby nodded and then looked serious.

“I thought I was gonna die” Abby said out of breath.

“I saw you” Ellie said and gulped when the image of Abby hanging by the neck crossed her mind.

“I couldn’t get there soon enough, I couldn’t shoot the rope!” Ellie was starting to shake.

“You did great, you saved us” Abby said, hugging her and Ellie just nodded.

“I couldn’t let them hurt a kid, why would they do something like that?” Ellie said in Abby’s chest, her hand grabbing her t-shirt and trying to express the need of her touch.

“I love you” Abby whispered right at her ear, closing her eyes and hugging her tight.

Ellie’s heart was jumping when she said “Me too”.

They looked at each other and blushed when they heard the kids moving around.

“Did you find anything useful?” Abby asked the kids, trying to sound casual and ignoring the blush on her face.

Ellie felt the same way, and was glad to see Yara and Lev exchanging a smile.

“We can’t touch this stuff. It’s Old World” Yara said looking at the boxes scattered around.

“Are you… kidding?” Abby said, trying not to judge and Yara shook her head.

“We need supplies, we’re not out of the woods yet… pun intended” Abby said and Ellie laughed.

“What’s a pun?” Lev asked and Ellie looked at him.

“I can tell you all about puns” she said smiling and Lev looked interested.

“Never seen Scars going after Scars before” Abby said out of the blue.

“Seraphites” Yara corrected her.

“Seraphites. What the hell did you do?” Abby corrected and then asked them.

“I shaved my head” Lev answered, avoiding the looks.

“And why would that be a problem?” Ellie asked, but the kids just looked at each other.

“Fine, don’t tell us” Abby said and started checking her guns on a workbench she found.

Lev looked at Yara and then helped Ellie, who was checking a couple of boxes on the ground.

Abby found several useful things, and even a new book about how to make your own ammo.

“Interesting” she said, putting it in her backpack.

“Interesting, but not a gun holster” Ellie said showing her what she found.

“That’s a good find!” Abby said nodding in agreement.

Ellie took out a bottle of water from her backpack.

“Here, you look tired” she said giving it to Lev.

“You don’t look so much better” he said taking it and drinking a sip, then giving it to Yara.

“Thank you… I owe you” Yara said to Ellie.

Ellie thought about what the men were about to do to her and shivered.

“They were really gonna hurt you, kill you” Ellie said to Yara, and she and Lev exchanged a knowing look, but didn’t say anything in return.

Ellie felt sorry for them, so young and so lonely. They looked well cared, but the constant fear in their eyes was soul-stirring. She had felt like that so many times, and for so long. The feeling of not being able to trust another person. Especially her with her immunity.

“Would you accept our help?” Ellie asked standing up and holding a firm pose.

Yara and Lev looked at each other, communicating without words just like Abby and Ellie had done so many times now.

“We’ll appreciate it” Yara said and Lev nodded.

“Great" she said smiling.

“I know a safe place near here” Abby said.

“How near?” Ellie asked.

“Well, we’ll need to go a little bit more into the coast”

“Are you ok with this?” Lev asked Yara in a low voice that was heard by all anyways.

“I want to live, don’t you?”

“Yeah”

Yara smiled at him and then looked at Ellie.

“We’ll follow you”

“Perfect”

“We could wait a little longer if you need it” Abby said looking worried.

“I’m ok” Ellie said with honesty.

“D’you know how many Seraphites are out there?” Abby asked Yara, and she and Lev appreciated the word she used.

“Right now, more than we could handle”

“They’ve been on high alert with all of the wolves going around, and now they should be looking for us” Lev said frowning.

“When they find Emily…”

“Yeah, let’s get out of here before that happens, shall we?” Ellie said looking at Abby.

“Ok, let’s go then” Abby said with another look at Ellie.

They shared one of their own all-saying looks and then she peered through the door to see if there was any threat. She saw no one around and they left the place like shadows in the night.

Four people moving as one, all of them careful to follow every movement, and stopping at the smallest sign, ready to do anything in order to survive.


	31. “Child’s play”

Abby stopped and turned to talk to Ellie.

“How are you feeling?” she asked her and Yara looked at them.

“I’m ok, don’t worry about me. Seriously, I can do this” Ellie said, reassuring her.

Abby nodded and took the lead again, frowning as usual when she was facing something she didn’t quite like. Yara put a hand on Ellie’s shoulder and pressed it. Ellie smiled at her and they continued moving forward.

Abby was leading the group, closely followed by Yara. Behind her, Ellie was feeling her leg burning and Lev caught that, being at the end.

He noticed the pain she was hiding every time she had to crouch. He heard the changes in her breathing, knowing what they meant.

Not once he heard her complain nor compromise their rhythm. Not once she asked for help, and he found that really admirable.

“Careful now, Scars ahead” Abby whispered and looked behind her shoulder until she met Ellie’s eyes and saw her nodding.

Their hearts were racing with anticipation.

“I see four, but there could be others hidden” Abby said.

“That’s true” Yara confirmed.

“Let’s do this quietly” Abby said taking out her knife.

Yara looked at Lev, who shrugged.

“What is it?” Ellie asked her.

“I don’t have any weapons” Yara said looking helpless.

“I have a lot… What d'you want?” Ellie asked enthusiastically.

“If you’re not using your bow…”

“Sure, take it” Ellie said giving it to her, along with the arrows she had.

Yara thanked her with a smile.

Ellie had her trusty switchblade in her hand when she joined Abby.

“Are you sure you can do this?” Abby asked her.

“I’m tougher than I look” Ellie said with a wink and crouched on the tall grass, slowly moving towards one of the Scars.

She was honest. Each step was harder than the previous one, but she used the pain to her advantage, transforming it into a booster. She had been through serious pain before, and she was definitely sure that this was nothing.

“We’ll be counting on you” Abby said to the kids before imitating Ellie and heading towards the Scar on the right.

They looked at each other and nodded, both of them with an arrow tensed and ready to be shot.

Ellie saw Abby approaching one of the Scars and waited until they were both ready. It took them a second to slice their throats, and they did it at the same time.

Lev shot a guy that was about to whistle and saw him falling dead a little ahead of Ellie. Yara took care of the one that was farther away, and apparently there weren’t any others around.

They regrouped and continued, Abby leading again.

“That was a good shot” Ellie showed her admiration once they were together.

“Thank you, I just wish it wasn’t for killing” Yara said looking down.

“Me too” Ellie answered with honesty.

There were containers everywhere, making it difficult to anticipate the next movements and Abby stopped in front of one that was lower than the others.

“Can you go first?” she asked Yara, who nodded and jumped up.

Lev followed and Abby waited for Ellie. She carefully helped her go on, sensing how eager she was to continue.

“Slowly, you’ll need to jump down, wait for me so I can grab you, k?” Abby said to her and Ellie got to the edge of the container and looked down at Lev and Yara, who were waiting.

“Ellie… don’t” Abby insisted when she saw her about to go down.

“Alright, alright… I’m waiting” she said huffing.

Abby snorted and jumped down in a second. She extended her arms and Ellie jumped down, her feet gently touching the ground with Abby’s help.

“This way” she said and moved forward and around the containers.

They went inside one that had been transformed into a room, and Ellie collected a few supplies she found before they went out through the other side.

It stopped raining and the darkness was finally giving way to some light in that cold and lonely place. The containers looked rusty and abandoned, and the only sounds around were their footsteps and an occasional grunt that meant there were more infected ahead.

“Damn it” Abby said stopping behind a big container.

“We can do this” Lev said looking at them, radiating confidence.

The container terminal was transforming into a labyrinth, and Lev told them to wait as he jumped up until he got to the highest spot. Abby got nervous just to look at him going that high.

“I hope he can see a way out” she said looking away.

“He will” Yara said and smiled.

“You two are very close” Ellie said.

“He’s my brother”

“Oh” Abby and Ellie said and turned to look at Lev who was already coming back.

“We’re almost there. I saw a couple of infected before the exit, but nothing serious” he said feeling important and making Ellie smile.

“Alright then, ready to go?” Abby asked around, and looked at Ellie.

“Yes, I’m right behind you” she answered.

Lev was very good with the bow and Yara wasn’t too far behind, both of them shot an arrow that pierced a creature's head at the same time.

They went to pick up the arrows and saw that the creature was an old Scar.

“Did you know him?” Ellie asked next to Yara, who shook her head.

“Have you ever killed someone you knew?” Lev asked and Yara gave him a reproachful look.

“Yeah, I have” Ellie said looking straight into his eyes.

He was about to ask another question but they were interrupted, and not by Yara, who wanted to say something, but by the unmistakable sound of the infected.

Ellie reloaded her shotgun and Abby checked her gun.

They saw an infected walking directly to them, really slow and clumsy, hitting itself with the containers that were on each side.

They took a second too long to shoot and the yell that came from the creature’s mouth when it noticed their presence was loud enough to attract others around, and soon they heard them.

Ellie’s shotgun killed two infected at once and the kids dealt with a couple of clickers that were getting closer way too fast.

“Get over here!” Abby yelled and they all went behind her.

She threw a bomb that took care of the rest and they sighed with relief.

“Where to now?” Lev asked when they reached the highest point of the road and saw that it was cut.

There was a gap that they could jump, and looking down they saw that the sea had already taken that land as its own.

“We’re going that way” Abby said, pointing to an old and rusty Ferris wheel.

“Lemme go first” he said and jumped without waiting for an answer.

“Show off” Yara was shaking her head at the sight of Lev skillfully jumping from one end to the other.

“Careful…” Abby said nervous.

“Don’t worry about him, he’s really good… and he likes to show it” Yara said rolling her eyes, but smiling.

They saw him jump, missed the spot he was trying to get to, and fall.

“LEV!” Yara yelled out of herself and ran to the edge of the road.

Lev’s head appeared on the water, smiling.

“I’m ok!” he said and swam towards the edge.

“I’m going after him” Yara said and Abby nodded, smiling at the thought that she was the first to worry about him after all.

She jumped and soon her head surfaced. They saw her swim towards Lev.

“How can I help you?” Abby asked Ellie, worried about her.

“It should be me asking that, are you scared?” Ellie said leaning near the edge to look down.

Lev and Yara looked up and waved at her and Ellie did the same.

“I’ll be fine, it’s not that high”

“Child’s play” Ellie said with a smirk and took one step closer to her.

“What…” Abby started to ask, but Ellie surprised her with a kiss.

Abby was starting to open her eyes when she heard a splash.

“You didn’t!” she yelled looking down and saw Ellie swimming towards the kids.

“C’mon!” she said from below, laughing.

“Damn it” Abby said to herself and jumped.

When her head appeared on the water again, she heard clapping.

“Oh my god…” she said when she was next to them, unable to hold a laugh.

“That was beautiful” Ellie said holding her stomach.

“Yeah, you’re a natural” Lev said smiling.

“Don’t push it” Abby said and they looked at her with a grin.

They continued walking until they saw a big wrecked ship ahead.

“That doesn’t look safe” Yara said looking at it.

“Just wait for it, we’re not there yet” Abby said and when she looked at Ellie, she saw her forcing a smile.

“You’re not ok” she said with a scowl.

“I will be. I promise” Ellie said with a smile, scratching her nose.

“We’re almost there” Abby said in a tender voice, tucking one of Ellie’s hair behind her ear.

Their blushing faces were hidden by the dark sky, but the air around them felt different, or that’s what the kids thought as they looked at them a little apart.

“Ok, follow me” Abby said and they did.

They reached a spot where they had to jump into the ocean again in order to cross to the other side.

Abby was first, followed by Yara.

“It’s a little rough, but ok” she yelled from below and swam next to Yara to the other side.

Lev took a time and sighed before jumping. He looked at Ellie from below, who did the same and re-emerged after a while. Ellie saw him having some problems and hurried to his side.

The water was cold and it was a relief for her burning leg. It actually helped her swim faster and soon she had grabbed Lev and startes carrying him to the other side.

“I’m sorry, I lost myself in the water” Lev said, feeling embarrassed.

“The current was rough” Ellie said with a smile.

“Lev is afraid of the ocean” Yara said and he stared at her.

“Thank you, Yara” he said, wringing out his clothes and Yara snorted.

“I’m getting cold, let’s go” Abby said and they started to walk again.

They followed Abby towards the ship and Yara and Lev went inside. Ellie got next to Abby and started rubbing her arms, trying to get some heat into her. It worked.

“Thank you” Abby said, feeling energized.

Inside the ship they found a couple of dead bodies scattered around and with arrows in their head and chest.

“What happened here?” Abby said taking a note out of one of them.

Ellie started picking up the arrows.

“Take them” she said giving them to Yara.

“Thanks!” Yara said as she put them in the quiver.

“These people...” Abby gasped as she read the note out loud.

They had been sick and were killed before they could infect anyone else. People were too afraid back then, and time was the only proof that they had been right to be.

“What is it?” Yara asked.

“They killed them to contain the infection” Abby said in a low voice.

“Clearly failed” Ellie noted when they heard a grunt on the upper floor.

They found more bodies with arrows, and another one behind the closed door that led to the upper corridor.

Abby took the crossbow from the skeleton hands and examined it. It was working.

“I think we found the killer” she said and gave the weapon to Ellie.

“Cool!” Ellie said, checking the crossbow and showing it to Lev, who took it and checked the tension.

“What’s cool?” he asked.

“Like… impressive… awesome” Ellie said trying to find a good example.

“Alright” he said tensing an arrow to try it.

“We can share it” Ellie said with a wink.

She had her back to the stairs and Lev was the first to react to the croaking noise coming from behind. He used the new weapon to swiftly kill a stalker that had been about to ambush Ellie and she looked at him, giving him a thumbs up.

Abby shot another one coming down the stairs and Yara helped with a runner that was approaching fast.

A loud grunt coming from above made them look at each other.

“Bloater” Ellie said and kneeled to craft a bomb, as so many times before.

Only now the pain wouldn't let her do it properly.

“Maybe you should do it” she said giving Abby the necessary materials.

Abby took them and quickly crafted a bomb, a couple of explosives arrows and told them to wait.

They heard blasts and bad language. Ellie stood up briskly to go after her, but couldn't. She squatted in an attempt to force her leg to move as she wanted and felt a hand on her shoulder. It was Lev.

“Don't force yourself” he said and Ellie was moved when she noticed his concern.

“I'm gonna be ok. This is just something temporary”

“Yes, so you should " _temporarily_ " rely on us” he said seriously.

Yara smiled at this and nodded at Ellie.

“Thank you, guys” she said sighing.

Abby returned to found a scene that made her feel warm inside.

“All cleared” she said climbing down the stairs to take Ellie in her arms again.

“I'm ok!” she said and Lev looked at her.

She sighed and opened her arms to Abby.

“Any effort you can avoid is good, right?” Abby asked her.

“You spoil me” Ellie smiled and let herself be carried away, under the complicit look of Lev and Yara.

The Bloater was dead in a corner and soon they were out in the open. Abby let Ellie down and they saw Lev and Yara waiting for them. Together they walked a little longer, until they reached their destination.

“Aquarium” Ellie read and felt immediately excited.

They went inside and locked the door.

“This place is really… cold” Lev said looking in awe at everything around them.

“Cool” Abby corrected him with a chortle.

“What?” he said not paying attention, distracted by the gigantic whales that were hanging from the ceiling.

Ellie and Abby laughed and saw with joy how he looked at everything and commented with Yara. They looked so happy.

“This is great, Abby” Ellie said and she felt Abby taking her hand.

“It’s great, and safe. Now, let’s go check that leg”


	32. “Punk rock”

Abby and Ellie turned on their flashlights, casting a light that made Lev and Yara turn and look at them.

“I just need a place to sit” Ellie said wincing.

“Ok, over here” Abby said slowly walking with her hand in hand to a couch a few steps away.

Ellie put her backpack on the floor and took out a little white box.

“Nora gave me this… look” she said showing it to Abby.

It was a very advanced first aid kit that included everything necessary for disinfect, treat and heal any kind of injury.

“This is very helpful! Yeah… You seemed very close” Abby said looking at it.

“Jealous?” Ellie asked her, amused.

“Not a chance”

“Oh? You sound confident”

“Shouldn’t I?”

“You definitely should…” Ellie said staring at her, and they only looked away at the sound of Lev and Yara’s footsteps.

“Do you need anything?” Yara asked.

“Not really, thanks” Ellie said opening the kit and examining the tools.

“I guess I’ll check the doors, just to be sure we’re ok” Abby said taking her flashlight from her backpack before leaving it next to Ellie’s.

“Can I go with you?” Lev asked.

“Sure, what about you?” she looked at Yara.

“I’m gonna stay with Ellie, if that’s ok” she answered and Ellie thanked her with a smile.

“Ok, see you in a bit then”

“Wait, Lev…” Ellie said rummaging in her backpack until she found what she was looking for.

“Use this, it’s dark out there” she gave him a spare flashlight.

“Uhm… thanks” Lev said taking it.

He turned it over and when he pressed a button, his face was instantly illuminated, leaving him blinking.

“Oh! I see how this works” he said casting a light on different things.

“Thank you” he said and Yara saw him go with a smile.

“Ok, let’s get this done” Ellie said slowly rolling up the pant leg and turning her own flashlight to the bandage that was tightly wrapped around her knee.

“Let me hold the light for you” Yara said.

“Thanks. Ok… here we go” Ellie said unwrapping the already worn-out piece of cloth.

When the wound was revealed, she rubbed her hands with alcohol. Then, she touched the surrounding area and breathed a sigh of relief when she noticed that it wasn’t burning as she thought it would be.

“This doesn’t look so bad after all” she said with a smile, taking the bottle with alcohol again and preparing for what was coming.

“Alright, sorry for the language” she said.

“What lang…” Yara’s question was soon answered by Ellie´s cursing.

“Fuck this shit! Fucking knee…”

The old bandage was lying on the floor, absorbing the alcohol that spilled from her leg. The burning sensation was short, but excruciating.

“You were lucky. You hit a nerve, but it could’ve been much worse” Yara said, examining the wound closely.

“You know your stuff”

“We train hard, both for fighting and healing”

“That’s wise”

“It is”

“Could you pass me that?” Ellie pointed to Nora’s kit.

“Are you sure you wanna do it by yourself?”

“Yeah, I’m ok. Thanks”

Ellie made a little incision in the wound with their respective curses.

“Alright motherfucker, this… is… it!”

She used the sterilized syringe to rinse the wound under somewhat pressurized water. Yara was taking mental notes.

“Now, let’s dress it for the party…” Ellie said with a chuckle as she started covering the wound, using a clean gauze and then placing a new bandage to finish the job.

“Admirable” Yara said in a low voice and a smile.

Abby was having serious flashbacks and had to fight back the tears. The paint cans that could be seen near the walls didn’t help. Nor the thought that Owen would have liked these guests. Well, maybe one of them wouldn’t have been too welcome, she giggled at the imagined situation in her mind.

“You’re interesting to read” Lev told her.

“How’s that?” Abby said raising an eyebrow.

“Well, first you look sad, but then you seem amused”

“It’s a long story. So, is this a thing you do?”

“What?”

“Reading people”

“Not particularly…”

Abby looked at him and they both jumped when a bird flew away near them. They looked at each other, lowering their weapons.

“Alright, I think that’s it. Let’s go back” Abby said and noticed Lev looking with interest at everything.

“I’ll give you a special tour tomorrow” she said with a wink.

“Why? I mean, thanks” he blushed and smiled.

“You’re good with that” Abby nodded at the bow he was putting away in his back.

“I practice a lot, but I still can’t defeat Yara”

“We should have some friendly competition then”

“She doesn’t like to play or shoot for fun…”

“I’ll talk to her” Abby said and Lev nodded, looking eager.

They were heading back when they heard Ellie’s voice.

“The stronger the pain, the more you curse…” Abby said with a chuckle at Lev’s bewildered look.

“She’s strong” he said thinking about his first impression.

“Oh yes, she is”

“Is she a Wolf too?”

“No, she’s something else” Abby said approaching Ellie and Yara.

Lev considered her words and saw Ellie tightening the clean bandage. Yara had picked up the old one, which was covered in blood.

“Everything’s ok, I assume?” Ellie asked rolling down the pant leg and standing up.

“Yes… What about you?”

“I’m ok. I just need to use the bathroom now”

“I’ll go with you” Abby said and soon Ellie’s hand was on hers again.

“D’you need to go?” she asked the kids.

“No, I’m ok, you?” Yara asked Lev, who shook his head.

“Alright then, see you soon”

Lev saw them leave and he looked at Yara, who was putting away the instruments Ellie had used.

“She’s something else” the words escaped from his mouth and Yara looked at him.

“They both are” she said, happy to see that they share the sentiment.

“Lev, are you ok?” she asked with concern.

“Yeah. I’m… relieved. How are you feeling?”

“Fine. That was close… You sure you’re ok?”

“I’m thinking about mom” he confessed looking down and Yara hugged him.

Ellie saw Abby stroking her neck and slowly walked towards her. She took a clean cloth from her pocket and poured some water into it.

Abby smiled when she felt the freshness on her skin. Ellie carefully moved the cloth around in an attempt to erase the marks left by the rope.

Once finished, she planted a kiss in the now clean skin.

“Copycat” Abby said and Ellie chuckled.

They were once again trapped in each other’s eyes.

Abby caressed Ellie’s face, leaned and gave her a kiss that took them both to a blissful oblivion. Their passion was enough to keep them warm, until Ellie noticed the drops coming from Abby’s braid.

“You’re wet” she said and Abby blushed and looked wide eyed.

“Oh my god! Your hair is wet!” Ellie said with a laugh.

“Oh, yeah… Well, you too! Maybe there’s something around here” Abby said looking around, flustered.

Just when she found a couple of towels that weren’t too dusty they heard loud noises and hurried back.

“We’re starting a fire” Yara said with a couple of branches in her hands.

“Sure!” Abby said with relief and playfully threw a towel at Ellie’s face.

“Funny…” Ellie said, taking the other one from her hands and giving it to Yara.

She sat on the couch with a sigh and quickly dried her hair.

Yara and Lev were finishing organizing a few sticks and wood in a fire pit that was in the middle of what used to be a reception.

“You look like you’ve done this a lot of times”

“It’s one of the basic skills for us” Yara said putting the towel around her neck.

Abby stared at the fire with mixed feelings. The knot that had formed in her throat at the memory of Owen tightened when she saw the fire pit and imagined him getting ready for a life he couldn’t experience.

“Abby, come sit here” Ellie’s voice took her out of her reveries and she saw her opening her legs and pointing at the floor.

She sat turning her back to her and moaned quietly when she felt her hands on her shoulders.

Ellie saw Abby sitting between her legs and took the braided and wet hair.

“May I?” she asked gently tugging at it and smiled when she saw her nodding.

She started to disentangle Abby’s hair just as a crackling sound announced the slow, but sure apparition of a fire.

The glow coming from it lightened their faces, and Abby closed her eyes.

Ellie was treating each thread of hair as something precious. She took her time to dry it as much as possible, and her soft and gentle touch sent shivers through Abby’s body.

“I think that’s the best I can do” she said placing the towel under Abby’s hair, and using her fingers to comb it when possible.

“Thanks, how’s your leg?” Abby asked standing up and running a hand through her long and beautiful hair.

Ellie gasped and took a second to answer.

“It’s ok, Nora sure put a lot in that kit” she said bending it and smiling when she felt nothing but the faintest pinch.

“That’s really good to hear”

The kids were sitting on the floor and started to check their belongings. They didn’t have much, so it took them only a little while.

“How long have you two been on the run for?” Abby asked them, sitting next to Ellie.

“Two days” Lev answered.

“Where were you headed?” Ellie asked him.

“I dunno… Away”

“So, you gonna tell us the real reason they’re after you?” Abby asked him straight out.

“I did”

“They want to kill a little boy because he shaved his head?”

“I wasn’t allowed. It’s a rule, I broke it”

“Jeez. So why’d you do it?”

“I dunno…”

Yara looked at him and didn’t say anything.

“Pretty punk rock of you” Abby said finally.

“Punk rock?”

“I got the impression you don’t follow most rules”

“Oh. I guess so” he said looking at the fire.

“That reminds me…” Yara said and started to untangle her own hair.

Lev looked at her impressed and Ellie thought that there was more behind that gesture.

Once Yara had her hair loose, Lev stood up and took the towel from her, making her smile and started to dry her hair. They were silent, as if taking part in a very private and important ritual.

Only when Lev sat next to Yara again, Ellie broke the silence.

“Anyone hungry?” she said taking out a couple of sandwiches from her backpack.

Yara offered her something that looked like a block of food, ensuring them that it was edible.

“Well… it looks, interesting” Ellie said taking a small bite from it.

They looked at her chew and snorted at the changes in her facial expressions.

“Holy shit…”

“What?” Abby asked her and Lev and Yara looked at each other.

“This is fucking delicious!” she said taking a bigger bite and passing it to Abby, who was laughing like the rest.

“Really amazing” Abby said, surprised by the taste.

They sat around the fire, comfortable and warm in the cushions that they conveniently dusted.

Ellie noticed Lev a little too serious and she could feel that something wasn’t completely right. They were so young, and they had faced such a horrible situation. She shivered at the thought of that hammer in the air, ready to hit Yara’s little arm.

“I haven’t properly thank you…” Yara said to her as if reading her mind.

“You don’t have to”

“I want to. Thank you for helping us”

“Well, thank you for helping Abby”

“Let’s just leave that in the past… We’re alive and safe, that’s what matters” Abby said and they nodded.

They all looked at the fire, tired to exhaustion, and half an hour later Lev was deep asleep.

“I guess I’ll sleep too. Good night” Yara said and lay down next to him.

“Thank you, Abby”

“What for?”

“You know”

“I do?”

Ellie looked at her eyes and gave her a soft and long kiss.

“Good night” she whispered and came closer to her, never wanting to be apart again.

The next day Ellie woke up alone. She was comfortable, surrounded by what looked like every cushion available.

“Good morning!” she heard Abby and turned.

“Hi! Yeah, good morning. What’s this?” she said at the cushions.

“Lev thought you could use some”

“Some” she said with a chuckle.

The sky was dark and a few drops fell on the ceiling.

“Where are they?” Ellie asked, looking around.

“I drew them a map to check the place”

“Are you sure they’re gonna be ok?”

“Yeah, besides, they needed to do something. From what I heard, their mom is still on the island and Lev was a little sad about it”

Ellie frowned. The kids escaped and were hunted by their own people. Why would their own mother let them?

“Why do you think she let them chase and hurt her kids?”

“Beliefs can be something terrible” Abby was reminded of a book she read about religious fanatics and the horrors they did in the name of their god.

They heard their voices coming from behind a door. Lev entered with a smile, closely followed by Yara.

“Did you have fun?” Abby asked them.

“Yeah! There were a couple of closed doors I’d like to open”

“We can go together, look what I found” she said taking out a set of keys from one of the drawers.

“Great!” Lev said enthusiastically.

It was a short breakfast, and Ellie was asking for more Seraphite food, as she called it, when she saw something she hadn’t noticed before.

There was a mural in the wall. She looked at it and stood up to get closer.

“This is…” Ellie said passing her hand over the painted giraffes.

Tears went down her face as she saw in painting one of her fondest memories with Joel.

“ _It can’t be for nothing…_ ” she had said that time.

“Are you ok?” Lev asked next to her.

“Yeah, just a memory” she said wiping her face with the back of her hand.

Abby walked towards the wall and smiled at the zebras.

“It’s a wonderful idea” Yara said joining them.

As the rain fall and bounced on the ceiling, four silhouettes were lost in the representation of the beauty of nature in a ruined world, each of them lost in their thoughts and memories, and all of them feeling hopeful for a new day, together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Halloween!  
> Bummer I can't do what I had planned for this year, but so fucking happy to see Jocelyn Mettler cosplaying Abby❤ I'll consider it a highlight of the year xD
> 
> Have fun, take care and survive this shit ;)


	33. “Not your fucking business”

“So… Shall we? Abby asked jingling the keys.

Lev looked at her and nodded absentmindedly, the excitement from before was replaced by images from the island. He knew they wanted to kill him on sight, but he couldn’t stop thinking about his mother.

What if he could talk to her? Maybe now she had time to think things through.

He followed the others, lost in thought.

“WOW” Ellie’s voice made him raise his eyes.

They were in a huge room and even though it all looked really interesting, he was half-listening, reacting only when Yara made a comment or when he noticed he had been quiet for too long.

Abby had to put some real effort to do her improvised tour. It was as if Owen’s ghost was present in every room. She accepted that loss, and embraced the permanent void he had left on her soul.

Looking at her particular audience she felt more at ease, and even proud. He had clearly worked a lot in this place during the little time he had. And she will definitely take _ghost_ _Owen_ in the aquarium raising an eyebrow at Ellie over the Owen she had left in Jackson.

She was surprised that seeing Ellie there didn't make her feel as confused as she thought she would be. Her reactions were a treat, and she smiled for what felt like the millionth time since she met her.

Lev looked a little distant. “ _Who could blame him?_ ” she thought.

Ellie was having a great time. Each room was better than the previous one, and she felt part of a very exclusive party, with the perfect tour guide. If possible, Abby looked even more attractive now. 

She felt a little closer to Yara, and had fun commenting on things at the same time. She didn’t miss Lev’s late reactions, and had her eye on him.

Yara immediately noticed the change in Lev. She knew the reason, and right now she was doing her best to take his mind out of the island, away from the people that wanted him dead.

She also found herself enjoying the company. Ellie and Abby were like a bright light in a path that had been illuminated only by torches so far.

Yara had been a faithful believer, until she saw Lev in danger. After that, it was an easy choice for her.

“Hey Lev, look at this!” Yara said and he walked towards her, his eyes shined with joy at what she was showing him.

There was a big shark head with its open mouth welcoming them to the room, and he followed the tunnel, loving the transparent wall that served as a window to the ocean.

Abby opened the door and let him pass first. Hanging from the ceiling he saw a cage surrounded by sharks, depicting how people used to dive inside of them in order to watch and study those sea creatures safely.

For a moment there, he got lost in everything that he could see around. Yara was holding a T-shirt against her chest, Ellie was picking up plush toys and Abby... was looking at him.

He showed her a little shark patch and she smiled. 

They reached a place where the ocean collided with the building, and Lev’s eyes darted towards a boat that looked functional. The previous excitement was replaced by a new one.

The cold air and the rain had never been a deterrent. He had an idea fixed in his mind, and the boat that swayed and splashed water was the only thing he could see.

“Jesse would love this” Ellie said looking around.

“Who’s Jesse?” Yara asked.

Lev heard them talk about a place called “Jackson”. It sounded so far.

“Well, I don't think we can’t stay here for long. I bet Isaac’s not too fond of me right now…” Abby confessed.

“D’you think he’s looking for you?” Ellie asked and Yara looked from one to the other, without taking Lev out of her sight.

“Probably. I was supposed to… Never mind that now” Abby said shaking her head and looking at the dark clouds that anticipated the storm she knew it was coming.

“Lev, what if we go hunting?” Yara asked, making him look away from the boat.

“Sure”

“Can I join you?” Ellie asked.

“Are you sure you should be forcing that leg?” Abby asked her and Ellie looked taken aback.

“I’m ok, but maybe you’re right. I should give it a little more rest”

“So, can _I_ go with you?” Abby asked Yara and she smiled and nodded.

“I’ll just wait here, then” Ellie said defeated and Abby got closer to her.

“You’ll be missed” she tousled her hair, making her grin.

Abby was checking her guns, taking the time to load and upgrade anything possible. Ellie took the opportunity to clean her old switchblade next to her, thinking about everything she had gone through with it. How safe she felt having it at hand. 

The discoloration on the handle and the dents that could be seen on the blade were the mute witnesses of years of enduring and surviving, and she liked to think that some of those scratches and dents had been her mother's work.

She enjoyed the flashback that crossed her mind from a time when because of her small size, melee moves had been extremely difficult, making her an easy victim. It would take her more than four hits to defeat an enemy when she was crossing the country with Joel. And now she was able to kill with only one hit.

“Yara” she called and Yara approached her.

“Take this with you” Ellie said giving her the weapon that was in her hands.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, but I’m just lending it to you. You can give it back to me when you return, ok?” she said with a wink.

Yara understood the message and saved it in her belt, practicing to make sure that she could get to it in less than a second.

Ellie appreciated the time she took to master the grip, and smiled with confidence when she saw her putting it away, satisfied.

“Thank you, I’ll take care of it” she said with what Ellie thought was a mix of determination and respect.

The three of them were ready and said goodbye to Ellie, who soon found herself doing the opposite of resting, unable to stay put.

There were so many things in her mind right now that she walked without any specific purpose, glad that the pain in her leg was almost gone.

A map on the wall caught her attention.

“ _Fireflies?_ ” she said in a whisper, and her heart started racing fast as she looked at the pendant and the notes that were lying around.

Abby was a firefly, so was Owen. Were they still there? Did they find them? Did Abby know?

She breathed deeply, took a step backwards and felt the wall against her back. She sat on the floor, closing her eyes and savoring a hope she had thought forever lost. 

She couldn't help but think that this time, she had a lot more to lose.

“Lev told me you were good, but this is just…” Abby was stunned at Yara’s ability with the bow.

“I’d love to see you against Ellie…” she teased, remembering what Lev had told her.

“I’m not interested in shooting for fun” Yara answered seriously.

“ _I told you_ ” Lev mouthed to Abby.

“But it’s not for fun, Ellie is always looking for ways to improve her technique. Though I have to admit… I don’t see any flaws in it”

Yara looked interested and Abby felt successful, raising an eyebrow at Lev.

“ _See?_ ” she mouthed back, making him smile.

They found Ellie asleep on the couch. She woke up and turned fast, gun in hand.

“Woah!” Abby said holding her palms up.

“Oh, sorry, it’s a reflex” she said putting the gun away.

“Look at this!” Abby said holding up a couple of dead rabbits.

“I’ll clean them, considering that I slept through the hunt”

“Don’t worry, Lev and I can do it” Yara said holding up her hand.

“You sure?”

“Yeah, we’ll be ready soon”

“I’ll start the fire then” Abby said giving Yara the soon to be dinner and feeling part of an interaction she would have never imagined.

Ellie wanted to ask Abby about the fireflies, but she couldn’t find the words, so she helped her with the fire, and just enjoyed the moment thinking that she will find the time for that talk, later.

Yara and Lev were a little apart, working on a rabbit each. She casted him a glance every now and then, and Lev started to feel agitated by that.

“What?” he finally asked.

“What’s wrong with you?”

Lev didn’t answer and she frowned.

“You’re thinking about going”

“I’m just worried…”

“Even if you make it, she’s not going to come with you” she said reading his intentions.

“I can convince her”

“We broke the rules, Lev! That’s all she’ll care about!”

He looked down and continued working on the dead animal. Yara stared at the cut marks on his little shaved head. He messed up a bunch, and she could only imagine how nervous he must have been. She should have been there to help him…

"Will you ever forgive me?" she asked him thinking about the way she reacted when he first confided in her.

Lev stopped what he was doing.

"You know I'd take a hammer to my arm for you anyday…" Yara said.

His eyes filled with tears as he slowly nodded at her, feeling utterly guilty for what he was planning on doing. He would never expose Yara to the danger, not for him, not again. But also, he couldn't leave his mother behind. He just needed one more chance…

Abby and Ellie were looking at the fire when Yara and Lev placed the rabbit meat on sticks and close to the heat. 

“Thank you so much for this, guys” Ellie said helping them.

“It’s not much” Yara said fixing a stick that was a little loose.

“It’s food” Abby smiled at her.

Lev was still a little distracted, and Yara was doing most of the talking, answering Abby and Ellie’s questions about the Seraphites.

“Those whistles…” Abby remembered the different tones she had heard.

“We used them to communicate. Everyone needs to learn the different messages” Yara explained and looked at Lev, who just nodded.

“So, if there are two Sca… sorry, Seraphites” Abby started to ask and Yara smiled at her auto correction.

“If there are two of them, and one falls…”

Yara whistled in a specific way.

“There are more than twenty categories, each represents a specific line or question”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that sound… so, they whistle differently depending on the action?”

Lev stood up and said he was going to the bathroom. Yara decided to trust in him and continued with her explanation on the different types of whistles.

Ellie was really interested, and was extremely happy to see that she could reproduce at least two of them.

“So, that was the whistle to say that everything’s ok, right?” she said after whistling again.

“You did it really good, could pass as a new recruit” Yara said with a wink and Abby snorted at Ellie's smug look.

“Do you think we could avoid facing Seraphites if we learn some basic whistles?” Abby asked Yara, who considered the question for a moment.

She was about to answer when she felt as if someone had turned a bucket of icy water on her head. 

“Where’s Lev?” she asked standing up in a flash.

“LEV!”

They all called for him. He wasn’t in the bathroom.

“No… no...” Yara said and ran towards the only place she knew he could find him.

“You hear that?” Yara looked around frantically.

The sound of an engine was coming from ahead.

“LEV! COME BACK!” Yara yelled at him, and they all watched him get away in the boat.

Ellie and Abby looked at each other, there were no other boats they could use.

“What can we do? She’s going to kill him!” Yara was out of herself.

“Follow me, we’ll find a boat and bring him back” Abby said with determination, heading towards the Marina. 

“D’you think that he could convince your mom?” Abby asked Yara as they sorted out the obstacles in the way.

“If she saw him like this, she’d strangle him with her bare hands!”

“Why? Ellie asked, unable to understand all the fuss about a kid shaving his head.

“That’s something he needs to share with you, not me” Yara answered in a low voice and they didn’t ask again.

They jumped down and climbed up, walked fast and carefully at the same time. It was a good thing Ellie had rested a bit, her leg was responding perfectly.

“Is your mother in danger?” she asked Yara.

“Lev needs to focus on his own safety right now”

“What could happen to her that he felt the need to risk his life?”

“Sometimes parents are held responsible for their children’s sins. But our mom is so devout… she’ll probably be fine”

“Are there options? For helping her?”

“He can’t convince her to leave. No one could! I’m more worried of what she’d do to him”

They hurried towards the Marina. All of them wanted only one thing: Lev's safety.

“Do wolves use this place?” Yara asked looking around.

“We dock some of our boats here” Abby answered, understanding her fear.

The path to the boats was completely destroyed, and Abby knew they would have to turn around and find another way to get there.

“How do we get to your village in one piece?” she asked Yara more to distract her than to know the answer.

“There are blind spots along the coast we can boat into. From there, we’ll follow back roads”

“They’re safe?” Ellie asked, following her closely.

“Safest option we have”

It was hard to walk fast and avoid the natural dangers of a battered road, but they couldn’t afford to waste more time.

“Does he get what he’s walking into?” Abby asked, jumping down and waiting for them to do the same. 

“I thought he did! He’s so stubborn… And he’s got a soft spot for her”

“Well, it’s his mom”

“Yeah, well… she won’t see it that way”

Tall trees started to appear all around as they got deeper into the road.

“Down this way” Abby said, leading them up and down, climbing and jumping, until they reached a dead end.

“What about this?” Ellie pointed at the sewers.

“Yes, there must be a way through here. C’mon!” Abby said going first.

They could hear the waves crashing against the rocks and the remnants of what used to be a huge building. They were in the open again and went around, following a sort of cleared path.

“Boats are across the water over there!” Yara looked at them with hope.

They only had to get up the road and go around to get there. But it wasn't going to be that easy… Wolves had gathered around and they reminded Abby of Isaac’s plan. She felt a pang of fear at the thought.

One of them was patrolling near and spotted Yara.

“Abby?” he asked, confused and aiming his gun at Yara’s face.

“Hey…” Abby started to say, but was immediately interrupted.

“You were supposed to lead a group. What are you doing with a Scar?” he said, squinting his eyes.

“Not your fucking business” Abby said suddenly feeling protective.

Yara moved and he was about to shoot at her, but Abby moved faster than him and took away the weapon from his hands. 

They struggled. She ended up on top of him and didn't let go of his neck, choking him to death and releasing him only when he stopped moving.

Ellie and Yara were looking at her.

“C’mon, there’s no time” was all she said and they followed in silence.


	34. “When you’re lost in the darkness…”

“Are you ok?” Yara asked her as they started to move.

“Yeah…” Abby was saying when they were spotted.

“SCAR!” a guy yelled and seconds later a whole team was next to him.

Abby didn't think twice and started shooting, relieved to know that the only friend she had left among the Wolves would never be part of this attack group.

At some point she stopped seeing faces. All she could see were weapons and danger, and she won’t let anyone hurt the people she had secretly vowed to protect with her life.

She saw Ellie and Yara dodging bullets and fighting at her side. Together they got rid of the enemies one by one.

There were no more yells nor gunshots, and they had a clear path to the boats. Ellie and Yara jumped into one, and waited for Abby.

“Let’s go” she said with a last look around.

The boat was cutting through the waves, splashing their already wet bodies and leaving a trail that was quickly engulfed in the open water.

Lev’s escape had left them feeling guilty and now in a state of constant worry. Ellie started checking the guns she could use fast and saw Yara gasping and motioning to take the switchblade from her belt, but she stopped her.

"Not yet" she said placing a hand on her shoulder and Yara nodded, feeling nervous.

They jumped out on the shore sooner than they thought they would.

“This way” Yara said, serious, focused, and a little scared. 

“Where’s everyone? No guards?” Ellie asked, noting the absence of security.

“They don’t use this corner of the island”

“Look, Lev’s boat” they followed Abby’s eyes and saw it tied up not far away.

“We have to catch up to him” Yara said, feeling more anxious by the second.

“Do you know where he’s going?” Ellie asked, avoiding a tree branch and then holding it for Abby. They shared a fleeting glance and kept going.

“To our house. That’s where our mom will be” Yara answered in a hurry.

“How far is it?”

“Across the island…”

“Shit. What about your people?” Abby asked, thinking about Lev facing all that danger alone.

“We’ll take back trails. They won’t see us. Besides, he must’ve taken this path too, it’s the only way”

Isaac and his pack of Wolves would soon be landing on that very same island and the idea was like a constant nightmare on Abby’s mind.

“We need to hurry…” she said and Ellie caught a note of fear in her voice.

“What are you not saying?”

Abby looked at her and Yara, and told them all about Isaac’s plan.

“That means…” Yara said with horror and started running.

“Are you sure the Wolves are attacking tonight?” Yara asked Abby as they ran side by side.

“Yeah, they’ll use this storm as a cover for the attack. Unless Isaac’s changes his mind”

“Your leader, Isaac. What does he want?”

“An end to the fighting”

“But at what cost?”

“At this point… any cost”

There was a ladder fixed on a tree and Yara started to climb up, Ellie and Abby were right behind her. Up there they found an open truck that had some explosives and parts that they quickly picked up. 

When they got next to Yara they saw her looking at a couple of bodies hanging from an old road sign.

“You know them?” Ellie asked in a low voice.

“I’ve seen them around”

“I’m sorry…”

“It is what it is” Yara answered with a frown. 

She didn’t want to think about what will happen to Lev if they find him first.

Abby and Ellie stopped dead when the trees opened up to reveal an incredible sight on the farthest end of the island.

“Woah…” they both said and Yara looked back at them.

“Is that your village?” Ellie asked, looking at the huge settlement.

“No, that’s Haven. Ours is further inland” Yara told them and saw that they didn’t move.

“Don’t linger. They might see you” she said and Ellie and Abby hurried to follow her again.

Suddenly, a horn could be heard echoing through the whole island.

“Oh no…” the fear in Yara’s voice was contagious.

“What is that?” Abby asked.

“It’s our warning signal. Your people are here… the whole island is on alert now. We need to hurry!”

“God dammit, Issac!”

“We’ll cut through the logging camp, follow me”

They dropped down to an area with a waterfall and continued moving as fast as they could and they soon reached a place with wooden huts and piles of logs.

“Everyone must be off fighting” Yara commented more to herself than to the others.

Abby saw her stopping to pray in front of a tree, but when she got closer she saw a figure of their prophet carved in the trunk.

“May she guide us through the storm” Yara said with her eyes closed.

“When you’re lost in the darkness…” Abby started to say.

“ _Look for the light_ ” Ellie finished her sentence and Abby gaped at her.

“What’s that?” Yara asked, looking at them with surprise.

“Something my dad used to say” Abby said and Ellie nodded.

They all looked at each other and a feeling of unity surrounded them. The only thing that ruined the moment for Ellie was an unpleasant thought. She knew she needed to talk to Abby about what she found in the Aquarium, but she will do it later. Right now she must be fully focused on the dangers lurking on every corner, and they needed to hurry.

They reached a house that was cutting the road, making it impossible to continue.

“We need to climb up there” Yara said looking at the open window on the second floor. 

Abby and Ellie pushed a cart and used it to climb up.

Once inside, they found arrows and medicine, among other supplies. Ellie was putting something in her backpack when they heard voices coming from outside, making them crouch and hide.

“Grab any weapon you can find! Guns, bows, anything!” a man was yelling.

They peeked through a crack on the wall and saw a cart filled with kids.

“Get them to shelter, go!” 

“This is bad…” Yara said in a whisper.

“How do we get through this?” Abby asked her, looking at the people that were starting to patrol the area.

“The lumber mill, the big building on the right, with the torches” she said signaling to it.

“That gets us out of here?”

“Yeah, we can cut through it”

“Perfect. Let’s go”

No sooner they went down than they heard a woman’s voice giving instructions.

“Close the gate! Seal off the camp!”

Abby, Ellie and Yara crouched out of the house, hiding from view. They heard two Seraphites talking.

“May she shield our children from harm” 

“This is going to be a long night”

“Did you hear about the infected Wolf?”

Abby and Ellie looked at each other. _Jordan_.

“Yeah, poor Elizabeth, she was such a good healer”

“He took three of us with him, and the Elders said that it was the last time we help a stranger”

They heard whistles coming from afar, and then the two women whistled back. Ellie tried to recognize the sounds, but she couldn’t.

Abby used a few of the parts she had found to craft a silencer and Ellie imitated her. Together they killed the women making no sound at all. And continued moving forward, towards Lev.

They heard whistles again, and then Yara looked worried. 

“We need to move, now” she said and they went around the house, hidden in the tall grass.

The whistles were different, and they soon heard them yell “ _Fallen!_ ”, followed by a new set of whistles that echoed everywhere.

“Cast a wide net. See who’s out there” a woman said coming out of the house they were looking at.

In a matter of seconds, a whole group of Seraphites was patrolling the area. Abby and Ellie looked at each other and nodded. By now, they were a solid team and they took care of the Seraphites in no time. They entered the house, thinking that it could be safe.

Whistles soon alerted the rest and they found themselves trapped inside the wooden construction.

A woman came in, gun in hand and aiming at every corner. She was about to find Yara hiding when Ellie did the first thing she could think of, and a brick found its way to the woman’s head.

“Wolf in our village!” she yelled at the top of her lungs before Yara killed her.

They ran outside and found half a dozen well trained shooters ready to stop them.

“Protect the camp! You’ll pay for this Yara!”

“Don’t let them escape!”

Yara started to run towards the trees, closely followed by Ellie and Abby. Arrows and bullets were flying past them.

“Keep going!” Yara yelled back at them and they ran as fast as they could, which was difficult with the road getting steeper. 

Ellie's leg started to ache, but she ignored it and kept going. She could rest later.

After what felt like an eternity, they got to the highest spot and saw how dozens of boats were reaching the shore.

“Holy shit” Abby exclaimed at the sight.

“May she protect us” Yara said next to her.

“We need to move, fast” Ellie said, anxious to find Lev.

They heard more enemies ahead and hid under a fallen tree just in time.

“This is a gift. They’re on our territory now. Let’s show them what they deserve”

“Through her love, we will survive this”

They waited until they saw them leave and continued. It had been a close call and they knew it, but they didn’t slow down.

On the contrary, they were going faster.

“Yara… Back in the logging camp. Where were they taking the kids?” Abby asked worried.

“We have shelters everywhere. If things get really bad, they’ll take them off the island”

“Good”

“We knew this day might come” Yara said a little sad.

In the middle of the woods they found something that looked like a shrine. It was a small room filled with burning candles and notes asking for help and guidance.

“Oh man…” both Abby and Ellie said after reading a very disturbing note about the initiation ceremony.

“Please, protect him” Yara prayed before leaving.

“Where are we going?” Abby asked her when they were outside again.

“See that tall tower?”

“The Space Needle?” Abby asked and Ellie looked at it.

“What?” Yara asked, confused.

“Nevermind. Yeah, I see it”

“That’s where we’re heading towards”

There were two Seraphites patrolling the way they needed to go, so Abby and Ellie took them out in what they thought had been a silent way, but a woman spotted them just as they were about to continue.

“The apostate! With Wolves!”

Two big men came out of nowhere and Ellie tried to shoot, but one of them hit her hand, making her drop the gun. Yara picked it up and killed the woman that was about to harm Abby.

Ellie dodged hit after hit, and saw from the corner of her eye that Abby was doing the same with the other guy.

It took them a little longer to defeat them. They had clearly been more skillful soldiers than the rest. 

“Fuck, that was rough” Abby said with a hand pressing her shoulder and looking at Ellie, trying to capture her heavy breathing and the way she flicked her hair out of her eyes.

Ellie wanted to fix that picture of Abby permanently in her mind. She had come to adore the times when she saw her fighting.

“Let’s get to the village” Yara said in a funny voice and whispered something at Ellie that made her blush.

Abby raised an eyebrow at her and Ellie just waved her hand, her face was so red that not even the darkness was able to hide it. 

They followed Yara through a loose board on a fence. 

“It’s here, c’mon!” she urged them and dashed to one of several houses that shared an open space as a big yard.

Ellie and Abby were at her side when she opened the door.

“Lev?”

Yara walked in, slowly approaching a still body on the ground.

“ _Mom…?_ ”

Abby looked around and found Lev sitting on a corner, rocking back and forth.

“Lev! Thank g…” Yara rushed to him and stopped when she saw his arms covered in blood.

“Did she do this?” she asked him in a weak voice.

“I just tried talking to her” Lev said between sobs.

“I tried to make her understand, but she… she just kept yelling”

Abby and Ellie were guarding the door, and Ellie felt Abby’s hand reaching hers. She gave it a squeeze, sharing the relief to have found him alive.

“She started chasing me. I tried to make her stop… I was just pushing her off the… off the…”

“Hey, hey, hey…” Yara comforted him.

“Then she hit the table…” Lev looked scared.

“Listen to me. You were defending yourself. You did nothing wrong”

Yara hugged him and told him that everything was going to be ok.

“I promise” she said looking at him.

“I want to leave” was his answer.

They left the house without looking back. To his surprise, Abby and Ellie hugged him tight and soon they were on route again.

“Yara... I’m sorry. I never should’ve…” Lev was saying when alarming sounds filled the air.

“What’s happening? Wolves?” he asked looking around.

“All over the island”

He felt even more stupid and guilty, thinking that he had chosen the worst night.

“Shouldn’t we head back for our boat?” Abby asked Yara when they took another way.

“No. That road must be too engaged in the fight by now”

“There are lots of boats in Haven” Lev added.

“That’s what I was thinking. We can cut through Old Town… avoid the main roads”

“How far is Haven?” Ellie asked.

“Not close. But it’s our best chance. Just keep following us” Yara said looking at Lev running at her side and feeling confident.

“Lead the way” Abby said.

They ran across the island under the sporadic lightings that stroke every now and then.

“Everyone’s left to fight the Wolves” Lev said.

“Yeah”

“Yara… Mom believed with all her heart”

“I know”

“Then why could this happen to her?”

“Our faith doesn’t make us immortal. Loss is around every corner. She guides us”

Lev considered her words as they kept running. Soon they had to crouch to go to the other side and once again they heard people yelling.

“Contact!”

“Wolves!”

“That’s down the street” Lev whispered.

“Get inside, quickly” Yara was signaling to a door hidden among the vegetation.

They waited safe in their hiding spot until they were gone.

“We’re leaving so many people behind” Lev said feeling uneasy.

“We can’t help them” Yara answered quickly, as if saying it fast made it less tragic.

“I know”

“Stay close to me”

A big bonfire illuminated the streets that looked deserted, except for a couple of dead Seraphites that had been executed against a wall.

“Fuck… we need to get off the streets” Ellie showed the bodies to Abby, who looked sick.

“This way” Yara said crouching next to a broken window that led to the basement of a big house.

They jumped down, hiding from the flashlights that were coming from outside and waited patiently, just like before. When they couldn’t hear them, they crouched their way out and got to an alley.

“Are the Wolves still nearby?” Lev asked looking around.

“I don’t know. Just keep going” Yara answered as she started to lift a metallic fence.

Abby lifted it for her and saw her hurrying outside. She heard something that made her heart stop.

“Got one!” a guy said with his hands on Yara, taking her away.

When Ellie, Abby and Lev got to her side, they saw her standing next to the now dead Wolf. Blood was dripping from her hand.

“ _That was close, too close_ ” she thought feeling grateful as she tightened the grip on Ellie’s switchblade.


	35. “Nothing is stopping us”

“We need to move, now!” Ellie said as she grabbed Yara and hid behind a couple of trees.

Abby and Lev followed them and heard people yelling just as they got to their side.

“Adam?” someone called and they saw three men casting a broad light on the trees nearby.

“Over here!... He’s dead”

“Search the area!”

Ellie looked at Abby and they did a mental check of their options.

“ _Divide and conquer_ ” Abby whispered and Ellie took the right side with a reluctant Yara and winked at Lev, who looked agitated, but prepared.

Lev followed Abby’s silent, but precise commands. He saw her taking out her gun and looking for Ellie and Yara. He couldn’t see them and started to feel nervous.

Abby noticed Lev fidgeting. She put a hand on his shoulder and showed him a guy that was coming apart from the others.

He nodded and tensed an arrow, waiting for her signal.

Ellie and Yara were right behind the other two, following them with a plan.

“Now!” Abby said when she made eye contact with Ellie.

Lev missed.

Ellie was on the ground, finishing off one of them when she heard a gunshot. She stood up gasping and saw a guy running among the trees, dodging every arrow and bullet Abby and Lev shoot.

“I’m sorry! I’m useless!” Lev said, feeling defeated.

“Hey, stop, it’s ok. It was a hard shot” Abby said grabbing his shoulders, looking into his eyes and trying to infuse some confidence.

Ellie picked up the ammo from the dead guys and Yara was waiting at her side, looking at Lev and Abby a little further away.

“They must’ve heard that, we need to be careful” Ellie said and she felt Yara’s hand pushing her down.

“What?”

“Shhh”

Yara crouched next to her and Ellie could see two men pointing their guns at Abby and Lev, and instead of feeling nervous or scared, she was angry. Furious. 

“No fucking way!” Yara heard her say and saw her go silently around the trees, like a shadow hidden from the night itself. 

Her movements were swift and decisive and Yara struggled to catch up with an arrow ready to be shot.

Abby was comforting Lev when they saw their shadows casted on the trees. She turned to find two guys holding their guns at them.

“Holy shit! It’s Abby!”

“Stand down!” she said with her gun steady, thinking fast about her chances to escape.

“What the hell are you doing?” she heard a familiar voice that made her blood freeze.

They guys moved to let someone pass, and Abby felt a shiver running through her spine when she saw who it was.

Yara was following Ellie as slowly and quietly as she could, until she saw her signal to stop and crawl. There was something in Ellie that Yara couldn’t stop admiring, and now imitating. 

Her endurance was beaten only by her sharp mind, and as she crouched, crawled and hid, Yara understood one thing about Ellie… she would not stop.

After years of training as a soldier for her village, Yara knew there were many techniques she needed to learn and master, but the Wolves were a ruthless enemy, and now they were determined to wipe the Seraphites out of this world.

Ellie had her eyes fixed on Abby and Lev. It was something really hard to just wait and watch, but she decided to give them a chance, somehow she knew that Abby would do that. And if not… 

She thumbed back the hammer of her gun and squinted her eyes, prepared to do whatever it takes.

“Isaac” Abby said with concern written all over her face. 

She lowered her gun for a second, but lifted it again. He ignored the threat and stepped closer.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked in a casual way, as if they were in the FOB having a talk.

“I need you to hear me out” she said finally putting her gun on the ground and showing her palms up.

“What’s that behind you?” he sneered at Lev.

Ellie and Yara exchanged a look at these words. Yara’s face was filled with pure anger and determination, and Ellie knew she would give her life just to give him a chance. 

She felt the same way.

“He saved my life” Abby said, protecting Lev with her body.

“Move out of the way. We’ll deal with you back home” he said in a voice colder than the rain that was still pouring down.

“He’s not one of them, please!” she begged.

“Abby, move…” he insisted.

“God damn it! He’s just a kid!”

“You have three seconds to get away from that Scar” he pointed his gun at her.

“One…”

“You really going to shoot me?” she asked, astonished.

“Two…”

“I’m not fucking moving…” Abby said firmly, and her hand made a slight movement that was caught by Ellie’s attentive eyes.

She started shooting, and so did Yara.

Abby saw Isaac falling on his side, his fingers clasping the arrow that had been his doom, and his gray sweater turning red. 

She grabbed Lev and took him away before he could open his mouth.

“What the fuck?” the others looked around, trying to find the shooters, but Ellie and Yara were faster and killed them before they could react.

“C’mon!” Ellie yelled at Abby and Lev.

“Are you ok?” Yara asked him when she got to his side. Lev nodded and saw Abby running next to Ellie, leading the way. 

They shot very quick glances at each other, as if trying to ask and answer a thousand questions in just a few seconds.

Wolves were running to where Isaac and the others had fallen, forcing them to take a detour.

“Your people… they’re everywhere!” Lev yelled as they jumped over a huge tree that was in the middle of the road.

Abby slowed down.

“Fuck them, they’re not my people anymore”

She looked from him to Yara and Ellie, and the message was received. Yara felt a knot on her throat and gave Lev a faint smile.

“We need to go” Ellie said with a shaky voice, and feeling a warmth that had nothing to do with the trees guarding them from the rain.

“Things don’t look much better up ahead. We’re gonna have to fight to get out of here, okay?” Abby said as they ran avoiding trees and rocks once again.

“We won’t let anybody stop us, yeah?” Ellie asked looking back at Yara and Lev, who nodded in silence.

“Now, show us those boats” Abby said and Lev and Yara took the lead.

They walked into a huge warehouse and hid in its dark corners, among rusty beams and wrecked machinery. Outside seemed to be packed with Wolves patrolling, apparently unaware that their leader had fallen.

But not for long. The Wolves that had passed them were now returning with the worst news for the group.

“Isaac and the others are dead!” 

“What did you say?”

“Dave told me it was Abby before he died! They saw her protecting some Scars”

“Holy shit… no way!”

“What are we going to do now?”

“They must be near, I bet we can find them”

Over ten Wolves started to inspect every single corner, eager to find the perpetrator of such a hideous crime.

“Come out, Abby! Let’s get this over with!” 

“Were you here to warn them? You fucking snake?”

Abby ignored them and started to look for a way out. It took them a while to walk a few steps, for they were being careful not to make any sound, nor even touch one of the hundreds of metal rods that had transformed into a traitorous enemy.

Lev saw Ellie wincing when she put all of her weight on her injured leg to walk over an obstacle.

“ _I’m ok_ ” she mouthed at him and then smiled, trying to take the guilt out of his face. She half succeeded.

After what felt like an eternity, they reached the door and one by one left that damned place behind. 

“Which way?” Ellie asked when they were together again.

“There’s a radio station up ahead…”

“Great, we'll cut through it” Abby said without slowing down.

They were moving fast, but paying extreme attention to their surroundings.

“How far is this Haven place?” Abby’s voice was a little muffled by the wind.

“Still got a ways to go”

The horrible sight of a raging fire spreading through the island and scorching every tree and hut on its unforgiving path made them stop dead in their tracks.

Yara grabbed Lev’s hand. They were losing everything they had come to care and know.

“Oh my god” Abby said next to them.

“Is that Haven?” Ellie asked in a hushed voice.

“Yeah, what’s left of it” Yara said with sorrow.

“Where are the boats?”

“Um... on the docks. Past the fires” Lev answered and Abby and Ellie looked at him.

“Then we better get down there before they’re all gone, right?” Abby noted.

“Yeah” he said looking back.

“We’re not dying on this island” Abby said with her eyes on the fire.

“Are you fucking kidding! Of course we’re not dying here!” Ellie said, nudging her with her shoulder.

She looked at Yara and Lev and motioned them to follow, and soon they found themselves being part of a gruesome battle.

They killed Scars and Wolves alike, and whoever decided to cross their path. There were horses across the road and Abby grabbed Lev by his arm.

“Lev… you got this” she said, taking an arrow out of his quiver and giving it to him.

She looked at the only Wolf that was on the way.

“What if I fail?” 

“You won't, but if you do, I get to finish him” she winked at him and saw him concentrating hard.

The arrow flew diligently towards its target, and the man fell dead without a sound.

“Come on!” she said and Lev followed, feeling a lot more confident.

“Do you know how to ride?” he asked her and looked at Ellie and Yara already mounted on a horse.

“You bet I do, come” she extended her hand and Lev took it, his body was lifted and soon he felt the warmth coming from the animal.

“Keep low and hold tight” Abby yelled back, and saw Ellie riding close to her.

They heard explosions, gunshots, yells and cries. 

“Abby’s getting away!” someone yelled in the distance.

“Get ready. Here we go!” Ellie’s voice lost in the roar of the battle. 

Yara and Lev were shooting arrows left and right, and trying to hold tight at the same time.

“Traitor!” a guy yelled with his eyes fixed on Abby, but Ellie and Yara got between them.

He hit them with his horse and when he tried to grab her, Yara buried the switchblade between his ribs, making him lose balance and fall.

“Oh god… should we still go there?” Abby asked looking at the fire that was consuming everything on sight.

“The boats are there” Lev said with a voice that wasn’t fully confident.

“Fuck it. Nothing is stopping us” she yelled as if cheering herself and tightened the grip on the reigns.

“Nothing is stopping us” Lev repeated and Yara and Ellie smiled and nodded when they got to their side.

“Which way to the docks?” Abby asked Lev.

“Up and over the hill!” Lev said shooting an arrow that took down a Wolf.

It was truly hell on earth. They were riding towards the fire, and they weren’t the only ones. A rider appeared next to them and in order to avoid him, they collided with a burning house that collapsed right above them.

Ellie felt Yara’s strong grip when they saw Abby and Lev disappearing under the fire. She stopped and jumped down from the horse as fast as she could, glad to see that Yara was right at her side.

Abby was rolling on the ground when she saw the horse running away, and Lev going after it.

“Lev!”

“The horse!”

“Forget it. We have to keep going”

Ellie’s tattoo appeared in her line of vision and she took her hand, standing up. She gave her the quickest and tightest of hugs, and it was just what Abby needed to feel energized again.

They walked a few steps when they saw the docks. The closer they got, the more horrible it seemed. It was a massacre and they were right in the middle, yells reached them from both sides.

“Don’t leave any of these freaks alive! Bring them down!”

“Purge them!”

“It’s the apostate! Kill her”

“It’s Abby, kill her!”

“She will save us”

“Destroy them”

“Your life ends here, wolf”

“Get to the docks! Don’t let anyone escape!”

They ran for their lives. At one point, they had to pass between two big houses that were almost completely on fire. It was the only way.

Lev wanted to go first, followed by Abby and the others. He looked up just in time to see part of the ceiling fall, and he jumped out of its way.

Abby was going after him when she felt being pulled back. Ellie had grabbed her just when the rest of the ceiling fell behind Lev, leaving them no choice but to jump the burning wood.

“Abby!” Lev yelled, going back and Abby saw with horror how a big Scar swayed an axe at him.

“Your sin brought the Wolves to us! You were stupid to come back here!”

“Fuck you!” Lev shouted at the top of his lungs.

“Look at you, shaved like a man! You’re a damned disgrace!” he said as he hit him, unleashing the beast in the ones that were looking.

Abby was the first to reach him and hit him with an axe she took from a dead woman.

He hit her back and Ellie shot him in the leg and was about to shoot him again when he pinned her to the ground and started to choke her.

Yara's arrow pierced his chest, but he didn’t even flinch.

“Let her go!” Lev yelled shooting another arrow at him, but the man was more like a beast.

Abby got next to him and he pushed her, making her fall hard on the floor. Yara came to her side.

Another Scar was coming from behind and Yara and Lev started to shoot. Abby wanted to help Ellie, but felt a little dizzy when she stood up.

Ellie felt the constant pressure of the man’s strong hands on her neck. She looked at the arrow that was impaled in his chest and pulled it hard and fast, then stuck it into his neck. He fell dead on top of her.

“God damn it!” she said coming from under.

“Are you ok?” Lev asked.

“Yeah, let’s find a boat”

The docks were falling apart, bodies were floating all over the shore and just when Abby was starting to feel desperate, she saw what they’ve been looking for.

“Push!” she shouted at Lev, both pushing the boat.

“Get in!”

Abby started to row, leaving the island behind.

Lev looked back at what had been his home. He grabbed his arms and shivered. Ellie looked at Yara and she nodded. They sit closer to him, the three embracing the sudden warmth that was emanating from their beaten and cold bodies.


	36. “Bare your fangs”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There was a slight edit to Lev's last encounter in previous chapter :)

“Stop overthinking things” Yara said when she noticed Lev fidgeting and with a deep frown.

“I’m just… I can’t stop thinking that if I hadn’t come... maybe she could still be alive”

“Hey!” Yara said softly stroking his back.

“I killed her. I’m a… I’m a...” Lev said between sobs, but Ellie grabbed him by the shoulders and looked straight into his eyes.

“We’re not murderers. We just survive” she said, knowing only too well how he must be feeling.

“The trick is to keep breathing” Abby added with a wink.

He nodded with half a smile and let Yara wipe his tears.

The silence was interrupted only by the sound of the oars breaking the surface of the water, splashing them once in a while.

“May she guide us” Yara said as they got further away from the island, and the fire that seemed to be consuming the air itself.

“May she keep us calm” Lev added next to her, lowering his head.

“I wonder if your “prophet” had any idea what she was starting” Abby said without stopping rowing.

Ellie looked at her wide-eyed and Abby shook her head as if playing it down.

“Have you read her writings?”

“Skimmed some”

“You’d benefit from it”

“Sure” Abby said, not too convinced.

“Some Wolves believe in god, I’ve hear them pray”

“Well, I don’t. If I’m gonna die, I’m gonna die for me”

“But… you just risked your life for us”

“Yeah, well… I guess my people would be the only exception” she answered with her eyes fixed on the somewhat choppy body of water that surrounded them.

Lev looked at her and they smiled at each other. The boat was slowly rising and falling with rhythmic ease under Abby’s consistent row. She sighed, enjoying that familiar burning sensation on her muscles that accompanied the hard physical effort.

“I’ve never heard a Sc—a Seraphite cuss before” she said, remembering Lev’s last encounter.

“That was my first time” he confessed, a little embarrassed.

“And I’m not a Seraphite anymore” he said almost in a whisper, unconsciously caressing one of the scars that were carved in his young skin.

He was lost in thought, and missed the little chat the others had. When silence took over, he looked at them and felt the need to share.

“Last week, I got assigned my role in the community” all eyes were on him and he doubted for a second, but kept going.

“I wanted to be a soldier, like Yara” he looked at her with admiration, and Yara shook her head in wonder.

“But they decided I was to be a wife to one of the elders. It’s… traditions”

He stared at his hands for a while, thinking that maybe he should have waited to have this conversation in a place other than a boat in the middle of the ocean. He felt so exposed and was so tense that Ellie’s voice startled him.

“Being true to yourself in this fucked-up world... takes some real courage” she said in awe and Lev looked at her with watery eyes.

The tender hand he felt on his shoulder and the looks he saw on their faces were like a warm blanket in that cold and harsh night.

“For a long time… I didn’t understand why he was questioning the laws. The traditions.” Yara started to say and he stared at her.

“When he explained to me how he felt inside, I told him he had to keep it to himself. I was hoping he’d snap out of it” she tried to take her hand from Lev’s, but he didn’t let her.

“He seemed fine for a while. But then he shaved his head like one of the men. It was suicide” Yara had her other hand on her knee, clenched in a fist.

“Is that when you ran?” Abby asked as she continued rowing.

“First, I screamed at him. I hit him. I was stupid” Yara said in a voice charged with emotion.

Lev took her by surprise when he gave her a hug. She held him tight and they stayed like that for a while.

Ellie was staring at Abby rowing. Soon their eyes were locked on each other’s, and their smiles quickly turned into something else. 

She noticed that her breathing was mimicking hers, even though she wasn’t doing any effort whatsoever. That without counting the incredible effort she was putting forth in restraining herself from jumping and pushing her down to show her all the love she was feeling for her right now.

Abby was happy to be rowing, because all she wanted to do was to let go and take Ellie into an everlasting and passionate embrace. Her eyes were captivating.

Yara gave Lev a furtive nudge to show him a small wave that was approaching. He looked nervous, but she just gave him a “ _ wait for it _ ” look and covered her mouth to hide her laugh. Lev did the same when the water splashed the side of the boat, making Ellie and Abby let out a little yell of surprise.

“So, you  _ do  _ have a weakness” Yara chuckled.

Ellie blushed furiously and looked at Abby, as if asking for help.

“Well, babe, I think you do” Abby said mockingly, but then it was her turn to blush.

Ellie stared at her, happily welcoming all of the butterflies in the world to the private party that was starting in her stomach. That “ _ babe _ ” had sounded so natural coming from her, but yet so unexpected.

“You could use some rest, let’s switch” she motioned to stand up to replace her on the rowing, but a foot on the seat stopped her.

“No thanks, I wanna get there tonight” Abby laughed, taking her foot away.

“Hey! Don’t you insult my arms, they’ve been with me for as long I can remember!” Ellie said trying to sound offended, but failing in the most adorable way.

Lev’s giggle was a beautiful sound, taking them away from all the suffering and death that were now part of their lives. If only for a moment.

When the shore was finally in sight, Ellie saw dozens of infected roaming around.

“Shit…” she said and Abby stopped rowing.

She turned and saw what she was signaling.

“They must’ve followed the gunshots from before…”

“What now?” Yara asked Abby, who looked pensieve for a moment.

“Lemme think” she said, taking the boat away from that direction.

“We’re gonna have to go on for a while, until we can find a safe place to get off this thing”

After some time, and a lot further south than they had intended, a deserted shore finally started to look closer.

“Oh man!  _ A-boat _ time!” Ellie said laughing to herself.

“Ellie… if you wanna teach Lev some jokes, you’re gonna have to do it right!” Abby said with a snort.

“That was a joke?” Lev asked, confused.

“ _ Pshh _ ” Ellie just waved her hand dismissively and the small boat filled with laughter.

When the water finally became shallow enough to stand in, Yara hopped out, followed by the rest. They dragged the boat to shore and looked around.

“D’you think there will be more Wolves around?”

“At this point, there could be anything around, we need to be smart and stay close” Ellie said feeling extremely cautious and gave Abby a look that conveyed that.

“Yeah, let’s stay close and quiet”

At first they moved cautiously and at a regular speed. However, once they got deeper inland, the dangers were greater and that was patent in their now deeply flexed knees. 

Their breathing followed their every move, and soon four shadows were crossing what looked like a deserted land. Ears trying to catch any sound, hands holding guns that were ready to be used, legs that were sometimes shaky, and sometimes hard as stone.

They hid and crouched, ran and stopped, feeling that their bodies were screaming for a rest. 

“Give me a sec?” Ellie said and started looking for something on her backpack. 

She had suddenly remembered the blowguns they got a while back. As she rummaged inside, a leaflet fell and Lev took it.

“Bare your fangs” he read out loud.

Abby looked over his shoulder and saw the drawing of a big wolf showing its fangs to a FEDRA soldier.

“How do you have that?” she asked Ellie.

“Found it around” Ellie shrugged her shoulders, and a smile crossed her face when she saw the pouch she was looking for.

“What is it?” Yara asked Lev, curious.

Lev handed the piece of paper to her and she read it raising an eyebrow.

“Were you always a Wolf?” Yara asked bluntly.

“No… If anything, I was a firefly”

“Did you join them too?”

“Mmm, you could say I was born one” Abby answered and relished the quick image of his father that crossed her mind.

Yara considered her answer and looked at Ellie. She was trying to decipher the strange look on her face when she spotted her gaze and smiled almost too quickly.

The rain had stopped. Ellie looked up at the moonless sky and convinced herself that she would find the right moment. Later, when they were safe.

“Let’s go” she said, avoiding the questioning look Yara was giving her, and so distracted that she forgot for a second the little bag she was still clutching.

They had walked for a couple of minutes when the silence of the night was interrupted by the familiar grunts of the infected.

“Demons” Yara said glancing at Lev.

“They’re all over this place too”

“How are we gonna get past them? I’m too low on ammo. You?”

“Same. I think we’ll need to take another route”

“Lead the way” Yara said taking one of the three arrows she had left. Lev had only two.

“If you happen to find arrows…” he said and Yara gave him one more with a wink.

Ellie let out a chuckle when she noticed the crumpled piece of fabric she was holding. 

“You could use these for now” she said, opening the pouch and giving them the contents.

Yara and Lev were speechless. Abby and Ellie told them all about the group of survivors they met and how they had used those weapons.

“You were doing it wrong… look” Yara showed them a few tricks and they were impressed with the results. Lev immediately started to imitate her, and he was really good with it.

A chilling yell was heard and they startled when Abby and Ellie turned on their flashlights.

“Good thing they don’t see the light” Abby said with a grin.

“See a way out?” Ellie asked looking at Yara, who was climbing up a container to check their options.

Yara’s world turned upside down when a hand grabbed her foot and dragged her down, to the other side.

“YARA!” 

“OMG!”

Abby, Ellie and Lev rushed to help her, but all they could see were around twenty infected that had been silently waiting right on the other side. Yara was nowhere to be found.

“YARA! YARA!” Lev yelled over and over in despair.

No sound came from below but the horrible screams and scratches made by the creatures.

Ellie and Abby searched for any indication of Yara around the mass of bodies stirring below, and they kicked and stepped on the putrid fingers that were trying to grab anything they could.

“See anything?” Ellie asked in a husky voice as they were frantically casting their lights around the creatures.

“Over there!” Lev’s heart was pounding hard in his chest when he saw the hole Abby was illuminating.

“How…” she started to say.

Ellie took a deep breath and before she could see her in the eyes for a last time, she jumped down, ignoring the yells that came from above. 

She looked for Yara in the dark tunnel she had fallen, avoiding the teeth and nails from creatures whose only goal was to scratch her skin to the bone. 

It hadn't been so hard after all, and her hopes were high. She noticed that she couldn't hear Abby or Lev. All she was thinking right now was being fast.

Her heart felt as if it would burst right out of its rib cage and tears started to fall from her face… she had found her. 

Abby and Lev saw Ellie’s light disappear, and shot the infected that had tried to follow her, closing the entrance.

“What are we going to do?” Lev asked desperately.

“Trust her” Abby said in a voice that sounded confident.

But she was freaking out. The only thing that gave her some peace in this awful moment was the fact that she had traveled enough time next to her, and she knew that she would find a way to get through this. She will. She must.

“Yara!” Ellie yelled.

Yara wouldn’t let her come closer. She had a very deep cut in one of her arms, and Ellie saw that she was pressing it with eyes wider than ever. 

She looked like a trapped animal, and her face was distorted by fear. She ran away and Ellie followed, perplexed.

“Get away!” Yara yelled, avoiding her eyes.

“Yara! What the fuck! Come here!”

“Get away!”

Ellie ran after her, speeding up to catch up. She threw herself to her and together they rolled on the ground. Yara pushed her away, but Ellie insisted. Until she couldn’t go on and gave up, her arm was losing too much blood to follow her commands.

Ellie got closer to her, and bit her lip when she saw her face getting paler and paler.

“Come here” she said and Yara grabbed her arm tight, recoiling a bit.

“Let me see?” Ellie asked in a soft voice.

Yara shook her head, but Ellie pleaded. Finally, she gave in and let her examine her arm.

“I don’t see any bite marks… this was just an ugly cut!”

“Are you sure? It felt like something else” Yara said scared, but suddenly felt extremely relaxed.

“Yeah, you’re gonna be ok… we need to do something about it though, it’s not a bite, but it doesn’t look good either. Put some pressure on it, now” Ellie said as she helped Yara pressed her hand above the wound. 

The wound was very deep. Too deep. She looked around and picked up a thick stick.

“Ok, just breathe” she said to her as she started to roll a cord on Yara’s damaged arm, using the stick to twist it until she felt it tight enough. 

Then, she took the hair tie she was using and secured the improvised fix.

“Are you sure that’s it?” Ellie said, tucking her now loose hair behind her ears and looking for any other wound on her.

Yara nodded with tears in her eyes, the relief was too great to feel anything but happiness.

Ellie reassessed the tourniquet to see if it was holding, and frowned when she saw a tiny spot appearing right in the middle.

“Does it hurt?”

“No”

“Can you walk?”

Yara slowly stood up and felt dizzy. She looked at her shoes and noticed them red from the blood that had profusely come out of her arm.

They were several feet away from Abby and Lev, who were desperate looking for them.

Yara whistled, and even though the sound was softer than intended, they saw their heads turning. They jumped down, rushing to get to their side.

“OMG Yara!”

“Ellie… you ok?”

“Yeah, Yara not so much”

“First rule for survival is to never panic… and I failed” Yara said, wiping off the mud from her pale face.

“Second rule should be “never go alone”, right?” Abby gave Ellie a special look.

“You don’t look so good” Lev told Yara and she shrugged, feeling a little weak.

“Abby” Ellie called her attention.

“How far is Nora’s hospital?”

“Is it that bad?”

“Yeah… I can’t do anything with what we have. Hey listen…” she got closer and spoke the next words into her ear “ _ we don’t have much time _ ”.

Abby felt a pang of fear and looked around, her frown disappeared in a second when she noticed that they were actually close.

“Over there, we’ll need to be extra careful… I don’t think I’ll be too welcome. But we can trust Nora. C’mon, we’ll find a way”


	37. “Hurry…”

Lev and Yara were kneeling in front of each other. He slowly took the arrows from her quiver and put them in his.

Ellie and Abby came back to see what they were doing and saw Lev taking out a small and flat can from a little pouch Yara carried under her clothes.

“What are you doing?”

“I completely forgot to mention this old medicine. All soldiers carry some” Yara explained and Ellie shook her head in disagreement.

“You can’t remove it…” she saw the blood dripping, and knew they didn't have time to waste.

“This will give her time” Lev said and Ellie sighed.

“Would you help me?” he asked as he put the contents of the can in his hand, a slight trail of powder falling between his fingers. Ellie kneeled next to him.

“Trust us” Yara said with a smile noting Ellie’s wary look.

“I do, it’s this wound I don’t trust. Lev, you have to be real quick” he nodded ready to act.

“It will hurt a lot…” she said to Yara, who just nodded.

Ellie had to bite her lip as she removed the already soaked bandage. She glanced at Lev and saw determination written all over his face.

As soon as Ellie took out the cloth, blood started to pour and Lev hastily pressed the powder he had in his hand against the deep cut. Yara stirred and hissed, but then she sighed with relief.

“Thanks, Lev”

“What’s that?” Ellie asked curiously as she quickly started to redo the tourniquet with a clean bandage, trying to be as gentle as possible, but also making sure that it was tight enough to do its job.

“Yarrow”

“Amazing…” she said in awe at the sight of the blood clearly slowing down its flow.

“Alright, apply as much pressure as you can, and try to keep it high, above your heart”

Yara put her hand on her shoulder, but she felt it getting tired soon, so she grabbed the rope of her quiver with weak fingers. It helped, reducing the effort and maintaining the wound up.

“We should get going” Abby said and they started moving again.

“Lev, that’s seriously cool”

“Cool” he repeated and felt important.

It was so dark without the flashlights, that it took them a long time to go forward and avoid cars and bottles that may call the attention of anyone patrolling the area.

Lev kept glancing at Yara and eventually she shooed him away.

“Stop it! Keep eyes!” and even though she said it in a whisper, Lev noticed the change in her voice.

Abby shivered, having heard so many Seraphites using that same phrasing during battle. She turned to point that out to her, but saw her keeping up with difficulty.

“Come here” Abby said and Yara allowed herself to be lifted.

Ellie’s smile faded when she saw the bandage already blotched.

“Remember to keep it up, and don’t loosen the pressure”

Abby took Yara’s hand and softly put it behind her neck, careful to keep the wound up as instructed, and saw her applying pressure with her other hand.

Yara felt her fingers really cold against Abby’s warm skin and she thanked her encouraging look.

Ellie saw Lev hurrying next to her with a forlorn expression.

“ _This night doesn't seem to end for him_ ” she thought as she saw him tensing an arrow.

He walked into a building and they followed. Ellie found a very welcome clip of ammo in one of the drawers of an old desk.

Abby felt her arm warm and sticky. She pressed Yara against her chest, and it struck her how fragile and light she was.

Yara gave her a faint smile. She was feeling weaker by the second, a headache made her squint, and she was frustrated by the fact that she wouldn’t be able to protect Lev.

Despite all of that, the sight of Ellie watching over him calmed her overly accelerated heart.

“Shit” Ellie said when they got to a closed door that was blocking the way.

“We’ll have to go around”

“Wait” Lev spotted a small hole he was sure he could fit into.

“No way” Ellie said, assessing the danger.

“I can do it, trust me” 

She looked at his eager eyes and nodded.

“Be careful”

He nodded back and crossed to the other side. They heard something metallic bouncing on the floor, making noises that echoed around them. 

“ _Shit_ ” Lev’s voice could be heard from the other side.

“He learns fast” Yara said with a chuckle and then grimaced.

“Nothing like a young mind to corrupt” Ellie snorted, forcing her eyes not to rest on Yara’s wound. 

She could see from the corner of her eyes the crimson and dense liquid slowly falling to Abby’s arm and then onto the floor.

The sound of a latch made her turn and saw Lev looking satisfied with himself, the dirt on his face gave him a funny look.

“There’s a way over here” he said, glancing at Yara.

“Go on” she said with a smile that couldn’t erase the worry on his face.

Abby heard Yara’s fast and shallow breathing, and saw her fighting hard to stay awake. 

“Lev is a great kid” she said, trying to get her attention.

“The best” Yara answered and felt her lips tingling. 

“Swear to me… you’ll protect him”

“What are you saying? You’re not gonna die, don’t be so …”

“Abby, please”

Abby saw the plea in her eyes.

“I’ll protect him with my life, I swear it. And so will Ellie” she said with absolute certainty.

Yara cracked a faint smile and closed her eyes.

“Hey, just a little bit longer…”

“I know, I’m just resting my eyes for a second”

Lev and Ellie waited for them to pass through the door. Abby had Yara firm in her arms, and she crouched with her when they heard voices coming from somewhere ahead.

“So what about that, uh?”

“Yeah, fucked up”

“I’m sick of this man… I’m tired”

“Don't let Isaac hear you saying that”

“He won't, unless you tell him”

“You know I wont”

Under other circumstances, the sudden kiss that Abby saw between those two men would have had a very different reaction from her, but she knew that they would kill Yara and Lev without any explanation.

They saw them going to an isolated place.

“ _Now_ ” Ellie’s voice was followed by the swift movement of the others.

Little by little they got closer to the hospital, to Nora, and to a hope for Yara, who was still with her eyes closed.

“How is she?”

“Holding up”

Abby and Ellie noticed her panting and frowned. Lev looked from them to the path ahead.

They walked in silence, never forgetting that danger lurked around every corner.

It seemed longer than it really was. Waiting when time was so crucial always had that effect. And they had to wait a lot in order to avoid the Wolves they found stationed every now and then.

“Here?” Ellie asked, stopping.

“Should be. Wait…” Abby said as Ellie was turning the doorknob of the long-awaited door.

“What is it?”

“I need to go first”

“Oh, right”

She gently put Yara on Ellie’s arms, sharing a meaningful look. Ellie immediately noticed the drip.

“You ok?” Abby asked her, secretively cleaning the blood from her arm so Lev couldn't see it.

“Yeah. Hurry” 

“I will”

“And... be careful”

“Always”

She felt a deja vu from a past that seemed ages ago, and saw her going to Lev’s side.

“Lev”

“Yeah?”

“Come here” Abby took him a little away from Ellie’s curious look.

“I need you to be the bravest you can”

Lev just looked at her and nodded, gulping.

“I’m leaving you in charge. You’ll protect them, I know. You got this”

“I can do it” he said looking up, feeling stronger than ever.

Abby put a hand on his shoulder and pressed it hard before leaving with a last look at Ellie.

She was nervous. This could go real bad, very soon. And the consequences would be devastating if she failed.

Feeling the pressure of the world on her shoulders, she walked decisively out of the staircase and into the hallway. The lights were flickering, and she used them as cover, trying to remain out of sight.

She didn't find anyone and frowned. Without waiting any longer, she continued her way, as fast as she could.

Lev was crafting a few darts a little apart. He was attentively listening to the faintest of sounds, and turned briskly when a leaf fell on his side.

Ellie sat with Yara, and threw a little pebble at him.

“Come” she whispered and he did.

“I need your help. Grab me a bandage from my backpack”

Lev was diligent. He held Yara’s head under Ellie’s silent command, and saw her fixing the bandage right on top of the old one. White giving way to red as the cloth absorbed the vital fluid.

“ _Hurry…_ ” Ellie thought as she finished.

Abby heard feet dragging along and a rush of adrenaline prepared her body for survival.

As she got closer, she saw Whitney’s back, and by the look of her feet stomping the floor, she must be losing the game she was playing.

There was no way to know if Isaac’s news had reached them, but also there was no time to lose, and she walked straight to the portable gamer girl that was so captivated by the device on her hands.

Whitney saw someone approaching and just waved her hand. Abby couldn't help but chuckle at this excessive lack of commitment to the cause.

She took the opportunity and didn’t tempt luck. A few doors away she found Nora classifying goods.

“Hi there…”

Nora turned with a couple of boxes in her hands and dropped them when she saw Abby on the threshold.

“Abs!”

“Everything ok around here?” she wanted to close her eyes for the answer, but hold the stare.

“Yeah, just a minor problem with supplies. I haven’t been able to convince anyone to go fetch some from the lower levels”

“Oh… I see”

“Yeah, no one wants to go there. I’d go myself if I had the courage… Hey, since you’re here…”

“Oh no, no fucking way I’m…” Abby stopped mid sentence and frowned. 

This seemed like the perfect opportunity.

“How much do you need those supplies?”

“I’d give you anything you wanted”

“Sounds good. I happen to have a favor to ask”

“Shoot”

“Ok... this is gonna sound real strange, but I need you to hear me out”

“Abs, what is it? You’re making me curious”

“It’s nothing so… well, maybe…”

“Snap the fuck out of it”

“I need you to treat a friend. She’s bleeding to death”

“Ellie?” Nora asked worried, and Abby cherished the care that impregnated her voice.

“No… it’s… doesn't matter. You’ll heal her? No matter what?”

“Of course. What do you mean “ _no matter what_ ”?”

“You’ll see” Abby said, revealing nothing else and feeling anxious.

“Oh… could you send Whitney away?”

“Why?”

“Just… do it, please”

“Ok, I’m really intrigued now. Just don't take too long, the guys will be patrolling this area soon”

“Shit, ok, just wait here. I’ll be right back”

Nora saw her go in a hurry and her curiosity spiked. What was she doing? Who was it?

Abby shook her head as she went past Whitney, who was still locked in her video game.

Nora went out and saw Whitney playing, apparently oblivious to everything that was happening in the real world.

“Whitney” she called with no success.

“WHITNEY!” her yell made Whitney look up and take out her headphones.

“What is it?”

Nora stared at her and walked furiously across the hall. She kicked a can that fell several feet away.

“What’s missing now?” Whitney said and stood up, leaving her game on the chair she was using.

“Fucking everything! I can’t take this shit! Are you sure I can’t convince you to go down there?”

“Go down… No way!”

“Come on, just a couple of things, nothing much”

“I don't wanna die just yet”

“Fucking cowards, I’m surrounded by cowards!” Nora yelled and started to kick things.

“I better go check on the guys” Whitney left with a last look at an angry Nora.

“Alright guys, now or never” Abby said as she walked out of the door, startling the others.

“Great! Should I?”

“No, let me take her. There may be other guys patrolling soon, so let’s not take any chances”

“We’ll wait inside, hidden”

Abby took Yara from Ellie’s arms and they went upstairs with their hearts filled with hope.

Nora was with her back to the door when Abby entered and rested an unconscious Yara on the gurney.

“That’s a fucking Scar!”

“Shhh… she’s not one of them”

“Yeah right, the scars on her face say otherwise”

“She saved my life”

“Isaac’s top Scar killer had a change of heart?”

“Nora, please”

“Alright, alright. Let’s see”

Nora checked the bandage wearing a somber expression. She grabbed her kit and left it on the table next to them.

“Did you do this?” she said as she started to undo the improvised tourniquet.

“Ellie”

“She’s good”

“Yeah, she is”

Nora looked at her and smiled. She had changed so much, and for a second a dark cloud crossed her eyes... She would have given anything for this Abby a month ago. 

“Is this… Scar medicine?” Nora was impressed.

“I guess”

“Well, look at this! I’m gonna have to do a little research… Ok, looks bad, it’s a very deep cut, but there’s hope. I think you got here just in time”

“That’s really good to hear”

“I can do this alone, meanwhile…”

“Sure, yeah, d’you have a mask?”

“In the cabinet”

Abby took the two masks she found there. She turned to Nora and froze when she saw Whitney’s face on the other side of the window.

“ _Fuck_ ”

Nora followed her eyes and called Whitney.

“What the fuck? Abby?”

“Hey, Whitney. How’s everything going?” Abby asked with the gas masks on her hands.

“Yeah… fine. I left my game behind, so I… What the fuck is happening here? IS THAT A SCAR?”

“SHH.. Whitney, shut the fuck up!” Nora said without stopping what she was doing.

“Is that a Scar?” Whitney asked in a whisper.

“Not anymore. She saved my life and we’ve been on the run”

“Woah… that’s heavy stuff”

“Yeah. Who would’ve thought, uh?”

“So… I guess it would be better if you close the shutters”

Abby snorted and closed them.

“I’m going then, what do you need?”

“I have a list. Whitney, could you give Abby my _hellraiser_ list?”

“Lovely name”

“Accurate” 

Whitney gave Abby a list with around twenty items on it.

“Holy fuck, Nora”

“Just do what you can”

“You’re going down there?” Whitney asked in awe.

“I gotta”

“Can I ask you something?”

“What?”

“If you happen to find a USB cable around…”

“Shit, Whitney, you serious?”

“Hey! It’s an honest request! And I said _“if you happen”_... Of course I won’t be waiting for it, just, if you find one…”

Abby gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder and smiled.

“If you help us, I promise I’ll find a new game for you, even if it takes me years”

“Holy shit, I’m on duty then, see ya Nora!”

They saw her leaving with glee.

“She’s hopeless”

“And now an ally, not so bad”

“Abby, don’t you dare die or get bitten. If you don't find these things on sight, just get the hell out of there”

“Sure”

“The lower levels…”

“I know”

“You must really care for this girl”

“I do”

“I’m glad to hear that”

They shared a smile and Abby went to find Ellie and Lev. She saw Whitney and waived at her from the hallway.

“Good luck!” she mouthed with her thumbs up.

Abby gave her a sort of salute and left, holding the masks tight in her hands. She got to Ellie and Lev, explained the plan, and gave Lev a mask. The air around them suddenly felt heavier, as they were about to embark in their most dangerous task so far.


	38. Can'T keEP mY ThouGhTs. BaREly wrITE thiS. CAN't sLEEp.

“May she guide us” Lev said, putting his hands together before following the others.

He let guilt sit on his chest for a second, but just one. Then he decided to adopt a new attitude for the task at hand. His desire to prove himself was a great motivation, and the constant looks from Abby and Ellie warmed his heart. 

He felt protected.

The dust-laden air made their eyes itchy, and the particles that shone under their flashlights looked so thick that they seemed to be cutting the air with each step.

Abby was leading the way, reading the signs on each door before moving on. She looked at Ellie and Lev behind her, and waited for them to go through the door she was holding open.

She was feeling more anxious as they got closer to their hellish destination. 

“You ok?” Ellie asked her when they stopped for a second, reading the concern on her face.

“Yeah, just worried”

“About Yara?” Lev asked quickly.

“No, I think she’s gonna be fine” Abby answered with a hand on his shoulder.

“Then?”

“The lower levels. It's rough out there”

“How rough?” Ellie asked, suspecting the answer.

“There's a reason we haven't touched this area yet. It was ground zero for the whole city... Where they brought the first infected before anyone knew better”

Abby said all this fast, as if trying to get rid of that horrible piece of information. She looked from Ellie to Lev, and felt more confident.

“So… it's gonna be overgrown to shit” Ellie said, cracking a smile.

“I’m ready” Lev looked fierce.

“We’ll need to be really careful. Let’s do this fast, but first and foremost, safely”

“In that case…” Ellie took out the holstered gun she carried and gave it to Lev, who looked at it unsure.

“Arrows and darts won’t do much damage here, I’m afraid…”

“I wish you could take your time, but you better hurry up”

“Yeah, the choice is yours, just don’t be late”

He looked at the gun in his hand as an old enemy, and secured it to his belt with a frown.

“I’ll keep it as a last resource”

Abby and Ellie smiled at him and gave him all the arrows they had, his frown immediately turned into a grin at the sight of his quiver almost full. 

“When we get out of here, I’ll show you how to craft explosive ones, if you want”

“Yeah… I do” he said, feeling hopeful for the future.

“That’s a plan”

Ellie’s smile lasted for a while. The positiveness that invaded her didn’t seem to be affected by the place, nor the situation they were in.

Death, spores, infected… they were nothing but obstacles in the way. Her mind was presenting her with so many happy scenarios that she lost focus, and felt extremely guilty when she knocked over an old oxygen tank.

The others turned with their hearts beating fast at the sudden clatter.

“Sorry!”

They continued in silence, until they found a couple of corpses, and a note coated in despair.

“Shit…” Ellie said leaving it on the ground.

“They had no idea what they were up against…”

Even though they had seen enough horrors to last them a lifetime, there was something heartbreaking and bleak about the scenario that was displaying before their eyes.

These people had died trying to stop the virus, thinking that it was something temporary. 

However, reinforcements never came… and they lost their life in the most horrible way. Trapped with death.

“We’ll need to crawl” Ellie said in a low voice, looking at the only way to go further.

They all wanted to get away from that nightmarish scene as soon as possible, and crawling further into its depths wasn't something any sane person would have done. 

But they were on a mission, and nothing would stop them now.

In the next room they found a dead soldier and a few supplies. As Abby took some clips of ammo, a note fell from the corpse.

“ _Overwhelming force…”_ Ellie read that part out loud, and images of a desperate battle filled her mind.

“Must have been quite a shock”

“Yeah…”

“I’m just glad I wasn’t around during the outbreak”

Abby examined the note for a second, and Ellie was once again inevitably staring at her, lost in every breath she took. 

When she saw her moving again, she noticed that Lev had been standing right at her side. He looked from her to Abby, gave her an all-knowing wink and walked away.

“ _These kids..._ ” Ellie followed, shaking her head with a smile.

“ER. The Trauma Center’s gonna be in here. That’s our best chance” Abby’s voice broke the absolute silence that seemed to engulf them.

“Spores…” Ellie said, stopping at the sight of the familiar specks ahead.

Lev was about to put his mask on when Ellie noticed that it had a small puncture.

“Wait!” she took it from him with a swift movement, and gave him the one she carried instead.

“Why?” he looked perplexed.

“I don’t know… because it was a Wolf’s mask?” her excuse seemed to work, and Lev put Ellie’s mask on without further questions.

Abby raised an eyebrow at her as she put her own mask, and saw Ellie quietly tapping the little crack she had seen.

Ellie’s immunity… she had tried to avoid giving it much thought, but right now it really came in handy.

“We don’t know what we’ll find now, so keep your eyes open”

The three of them started walking the distance completely aware of everything that surrounded them. Their tensed bodies were on edge, reacting to the slightest of sounds.

Plastic doors divided the different sections, and each time they passed one, their eyes darted to the gurneys with dead bodies. Some of the walls were covered in fungus, forming strange shapes that made them feel as if being watched.

Containment section three was a big room, with separate beds and a few boxes. They searched the area, and found only one of the things on the list. One of twenty.

“Ok, one down…”

“There has to be more around here…”

“Holy shit!” Ellie and Lev turned to see what Abby had found.

“What is it?” Lev asked curiously, as he saw her taking a big weapon from a dead body.

“Flamethrower” she said, turning it over in awe, as if finding an old friend that she cared about.

“Perfect” Ellie said when she found a couple of refills and happily came closer to Abby to store them in her backpack. 

She saw Lev absorbed reading something, and startled when felt Abby’s hand taking hers, interlocking their fingers. 

The electrical wave that traveled down her body was a perfect booster.

“What is it?” Abby asked Lev over his shoulder.

“Nothing… just”

He gave her the old piece of paper he had been examining and she and Ellie read it together.

_“You cannot treat us like this. I understand that many people are sick, but getting shoved in here and separated from my wife is unacceptable. I've been sitting here for over three hours without an update. The doctor put some ointment on my bite mark and then vanished. This thing hurts and seems to be getting worse._

_Please deliver this note to your supervisor immediately._

_Sincerely,_ _  
__Don Carter”_

The ink on the other side was messier. And as they read they understood why.

_“Woke up starving, but can't keep anything down. Not even water. My head is fucking pounding. The screaming outside doesn't help. Why did you lock me in here? Someone needs to come. I want to see Sasha. I want my wife._

_  
__SAsha, HELp! Can'T keEP mY ThouGhTs. BaREly wrITE thiS. CAN't sLEEp, too hunGRy. geT Me oUT!_

 _  
__hUNGRY. EYeS huRT. SAshA.”_

Lev was disturbed by the note, and put it in his pocket, deep in thought.

Crouching and searching, they got to a section where red was the predominant color. The doors leading to the other side were closed, and even though Abby and Ellie tried their best to get them open, their efforts weren’t successful.

“We need power” Ellie said, running her fingers through the buttons on the panel that was next to the door.

They walked around, looking for anything that could help them.

“Surgery, great” Abby read the sign on a double door that was half opened, pushing herself inside.

They found a big first aid kit which she opened with hope, but there was nothing from Nora’s list inside.

“For fuck’s sake!” she slammed it and looked at the others.

Lev was a little behind, and saw with horror how an infected that had been trapped in the wall launched itself to Ellie.

Abby and Lev saw her struggling with the creature and tried to take it out from her, but its frantic claws wouldn’t let them.

Ellie instinctively threw her hand to her belt, an action so reflexively adopted through the years that she blanched at the absence of her trusty switchblade.

She had always counted on it to stop the creatures in time, and now she found herself trapped under its weight, avoiding teeth that tried to catch her in any possible way.

Abby saw the infected lifting its head for a second and she grabbed it and pulled it hard, making it fall backwards. She was brutal, and killed it with pure hatred.

“Fuck you” she gave it a last kick on the ground.

“Damn! Thanks” Ellie wiped her face with a grin at Abby’s agitated body.

“Lev, you ok?” she asked him when she noticed him a little shaken.

“Yeah” he said, noting the tremble on his legs.

They searched the place and found some pills and supplies that could be useful, along with one more thing from the Hellraiser list.

Meanwhile, in a much safer place not so far away, Whitney had never been more focused. 

She walked the corridor up and down, giving furtive glances at the closed door where Nora was working fast. She heard her curse and got running to the door.

“What’s wrong?”

“What? Nothing! What are you doing?”

“I heard you… Nevermind”

She looked at the serum that was slowly dripping and infusing vital liquid into the beaten body of the young Scar girl, while Nora worked on the horrible cut that had almost split her little arm.

She closed the door with a sigh. 

Reaching the hallway, she turned at the sound of voices and waited standing right in the middle.

“Hey guys, you better stay away from Nora…”

“One of her days?”

“Pshh, to say the least…”

“We’re not going there, anyway….”

“We’re gonna see if we find a radio, ours broke down”

“No news from the island yet?”

“Nothing, we just heard Abby’s name, but couldn’t figure out what the hell was happening. I guess she got there somehow”

“Sure… Keep me posted, would ya?”

“Yeah, see ya”

Whitney frowned as she saw them leave. So Abby had been on the island after all…

Abby, Ellie and Lev followed the cables connected to the generator and saw them crossing to the other room. They needed to jump over a hole in the wall to get there.

It was so dark, that the only thing they could see was the circle casted by their flashlights.

They found the generator and Abby stopped before it.

“This may awaken some creatures… be ready”

Ellie and Lev looked at each other and nodded.

Abby pulled the cord hard. Nothing. After a third time, lights started to flicker and a deep sound was heard all around. 

Electricity was reaching the doors, and not in a subtle way.

“Shit… you know what this means”

“I do. We’re ready” Ellie nudged Lev.

“Yeah, let’s get those fuckers”

Abby looked from one to the other, unable to hold her chuckle.

Their smiles were soon replaced by concentration as they reached the door with the panel, and slowly went inside, one by one.

The walls had fungus all over, with only a few portions uncovered. They walked down the corridor, fearing every strange formation after what happened to Ellie.

The dim light that was now illuminating the area helped them find a couple more of the supplies they needed.

“Are these good?” Lev asked Ellie as he showed her a glass cabinet.

“Fuck yeah!” she looked around and used an old cloth to break the glass, which still sounded extremely loud in a place where silence was overwhelming.

She took the medicine out, put it in her backpack, and as she was tightening the straps they heard yells coming from the darkness ahead.

Two clickers appeared running wildly, closely followed by a huge bloater. Sounds after so many years had led them to a Berserk mode.

“Stay down!” Abby yelled as she used the flamethrower, stopping the creatures.

Ellie shot one of the clickers and saw the other one falling under Lev’s precise arrow.

The bloater was about to throw a spore bomb, but Abby burned it to death just in time.

“There should be an ambulance around here” she said as she reloaded her new favourite weapon.

There was in fact an ambulance blocking one of the exits, its doors were wide open, showing the interior overtaken by the deadly fungus.

They got to the door with the panel and saw that the buttons were lit, but the door was stuck. Abby and Ellie pushed it open and Lev went first to the other side. 

The absence of infected was somehow unnerving, and the fact that lights didn’t work in that specific area only made things worse.

The gurneys on this side were all empty… and there was a horrible blood trail with strange marks on the wall. Signs of claws could be seen everywhere they look. 

“The fuck did this?” Abby said with her voice muffled by the mask and the fear.

“Let’s hope we don’t find out” Ellie answered.

The darkness in the garage was even more engulfing. Lev was closely following Abby and Ellie, his knuckles white from the pressure, and a drop of sweat traveled down his poorly shaved head.

“Let’s not panic… we get the shit and get the hell out of here” Abby said looking at them.

Ellie and Lev nodded in silence.

Trucks and cars were all over, mute witnesses of the chaos unraveled after the outbreak. They found only one more thing from the list.

The handprints and bloody trails they could see on the pillars and floor made them shiver, and they started following the only source of light in that god forsaken place.

An ambulance was blocking the way. It was right in the middle of what had been the entrance to the hospital, surrounded by wrecked vehicles whose drivers had apparently tried everything in order to get help.

“Bingo!” Abby exclaimed as she approached it, having to step up since it was slightly upwards.

She opened the doors and an empty gurney was violently expelled by gravity, making them jump to one side.

“Alright… don’t fail me now” she talked to it, as if pleading for help.

The drawers were empty, and as desperation started to take over them, she gave a shriek of success when she opened a box that had been secured to the backside of the driver’s seat.

“Yes! Lev, get ready to celebrate” she said after finding the last items on Nora’s list.

They looked at each other with relief. It hadn’t been so bad after all.

“Ok, back to Yara now” 

Lev’s face lightened when he heard what he was waiting for.

“I’m sure Nora would be more than…”

They were heading back when Ellie’s words were interrupted by the ghastliest yell they have ever heard. A sound so shrilling that cut to their very core.

“HOLY FUCK!”

An enormous mass of what seemed like countless bodies molded together was moving hastily towards them. 

Legs, limbs and teeth protruding from a creature that defied biology and life itself.

“RUN!” 

Lev looked wide eyed at it, unable to believe what he was seeing. He felt being pulled hard and saw Ellie’s hand on his. They ran and found themselves trapped, the door they had used was now blocked. 

“SHIT, SHIT!”

“TO THE AMBULANCE!”

Yells and spores were surrounding them, as the creature relentlessly followed the first living beings it encountered after decades of solitude.


	39. “Here she comes!”

Ellie felt Lev letting go of her hand.

She didn't have time to do or say anything, except to watch in horror how he avoided the monstrosity that moved in an erratic way, and at a speed that seemed impossible for its colossal size.

“Abby!”

Abby turned and saw it going after Lev. 

Flames that roared and suppressed all other sounds hit the creature right in the middle, but instead of stopping, it looked even angrier.

Bullets reached it from a corner and Ellie saw Lev with the gun, each shot accurately reaching its destination. 

He was so agile and fast that even though the thing had arms protruding all over, it had no chance of grabbing him.

They saw it churned violently, absorbing every attack as if eager for interaction. Abby and Ellie ran together behind a semi-demolished wall and heard it broke right through it.

Abby threw an oxygen tank over her head, and the putrid limbs reduced it to nothing.

“Don't let it grab you!” she yelled desperate at the realization that it could easily kill them if it did.

They were each doing their best to avoid the vicious attacks that came from everywhere, putting them in constant danger.

Arrows that did no damage at all started to impale one of its sides. Lev was out of bullets.

“Lev!” Ellie yelled, running from the creature that was following her now.

He saw her hand in the air, a clip of ammo sticking out.

Without losing any second, he jumped from car to car like a wild and very skillful animal. Ellie took a chance and threw the ammo, relieved to see him caught it mid-air.

Lev looked from the clip to the gun, having no idea what to do.

Abby took some alcohol and explosives out of her backpack and started crafting incendiary shells, her eyes darting towards Ellie, who was attacking and avoiding the monster, leading it away from them.

When she looked up, she saw her running towards her position, the deathly mass closely behind.

“Down!” 

Ellie obeyed and Abby emptied the shotgun until the beast started stirring on the ground like an abhorrent frenzy of limbs.

Lev ran to their side and Ellie looked at the gun and clip in his hands. She took them without saying anything and quickly reloaded the weapon, giving it back to him with the trace of a smile under her mask. 

He held the gun tight, running next to them. The small touches he felt every now and then gave him a special comfort, a feeling completely alien to the place they were in.

Abby was leading them to the ambulance, anxious to get to the other side.

She was the first to get there and started kicking the door repeatedly.

“Open up, you piece of shit!” she urged and kicked harder, the new yell coming from the creature was enough motivation and the door opened wide.

Ellie pushed Lev and ran back, towards the frantic mass that was almost reaching their spot.

“Ellie!” he yelled wide-eyed.

Abby called him and he hurried to her side.

“We need to go back!”

“No, give her a second” Abby said with a deep frown, swiftly crafting as many pipe bombs as she could.

Lev kept a tight grasp on the gun, squinting to see if he spotted her.

“Here she comes!” he said shortly after and saw her quickly reaching the ambulance.

They ran as fast as their overworked bodies let them, jumping over empty gurneys and obstacles without looking back. 

One of the doors got stuck and the three ended up pushing it open. And it did just in time. 

They heard the creature charging through the threshold, slowing down only for a moment. It crashed against a car and pushed it away as cardboard.

“Stay together!” Abby yelled as they found themselves in a labyrinth made out of concrete.

Fungus, spores, death and darkness had clearly reigned in that place for a very long time, and now the eerie yells completed the grotesque scene.

Each corridor led to another room and then yet to another corridor. It was difficult to find the way, and Ellie realized that Lev had been leading them.

“Where are you going?”

“Out” he said shortly.

They followed him only because going back wasn’t an option. And also because his voice had such a confidence that infused courage into them.

A big door looked like the way out, but it was taking them too long to open.

“What are you doing?” Abby yelled at Ellie when she saw her stopping and looking back.

“We need time…”

“Ellie, don’t”

“I’ll distract it”

Abby was about to say a few words when she noticed Lev running past them.

“SHIT, LEV!”

They saw him going back, towards the corridors they had just passed and making sure that the creature was coming after him. 

Abby and Ellie worked arduously to open the door, the skin on their knuckles translucent by the effort, and their necks hurting from the furtive glances at Lev.

“Over here!” Lev yelled at the creature that was destroying everything on its way.

He was absolutely focused. His nimble mind and his body were recalling everything he had seen during the last hours. And with his heart beating as it never had before, he moved on with conviction.

One of the doors was now broken and he had to dive. Standing up fast, he failed to see the chair that was right next to him, and he tripped.

The adrenaline rush at the sight of death approaching so fast made him feel powerful.

An arm grasped the floor just when he moved his leg away. He was fast and didn’t hesitate as he escaped from it, shooting now and then to the portion that looked weaker.

“Wait…” Ellie took an emergency axe from the wall.

“Great” Abby said and they used it as a lever.

They heard loud noises, gunfire and yells just as the door opened enough to let them go through. Abby was fidgeting, looking around for a way to call Lev’s attention since yelling wasn't doing the trick.

Ellie whistled very high towards the dark corridors. Lev was shaken for a second, but he immediately turned around and started going back.

Abby was on the other side of the door, holding the axe in position.

“Come on!” Ellie urged Lev with one hand on the door and the other one extended to him.

She saw him go past her with a quick nod.

The cluster of limbs was getting closer. Ellie looked at Abby and Lev and she was almost reaching them when she felt the strongest pull of her life.

She was forced up into the air. Abby lifted her gun and cursed, unable to shoot because it was moving so fast that she might hit Ellie by mistake.

It took her less than a second to find another way. 

She grabbed the axe from the ground and hit the spot that looked loose. It worked.

Ellie felt how the pressure shifted from her to the lower half, and she jerked out of its grasp. Once free, she started running with the others. 

The hellish cacophony coming from behind made them look back. One of the occupants was trying desperately to detach from the tangle.

Violent pulls created a spectacle so unique that they couldn't help but stare as meat, bones, and fungus comprise something that should exist only in the realm of nightmares.

And then something incredible happened. 

The floorboards broke with a loud crack, making the creature disappear into the darkness below.

“ _Fuck…_ ” Ellie said looking at the now empty corridor.

They were all shaking, silently recovering from the horror they had just witnessed.

“You did great back there” Lev looked at Ellie and nodded with a mix of pride and fear.

“Ellie, take these” Abby handed her a couple of pipe bombs.

“Lev… how are you?”

“I’m… ok, I think” he touched his arms and leg as if looking for any injury he may have missed.

“No, you’re not. Hell, none of us is” Abby looked from him to Ellie, who nodded in silence.

“There’s gotta be a way out of here. Yara is waiting for us” 

Lev felt that these words momentarily brightened that dingy place. He looked around for anything they could use as an exit, and a smile appeared on his face.

“There”

Ellie and Abby followed his gaze and saw the ventilation ducts. 

“Great. Lev, you rock” Ellie said with glee.

He looked puzzled.

“You’re awesome” Abby added, and chuckled when saw the smile behind his mask.

One by one they went up and started crawling. The space was very limited, and Abby wasn’t happy to see that they wouldn’t be able to turn around fast if needed.

“Just a little further…” Ellie’s voice filled the small place.

She was careful to check before taking every turn, absolutely aware that she was securing a path for the ones behind. Disturbing noises came from below, and she shivered at the thought of the creature still searching for them.

They were crawling carefully and in complete silence. 

Ellie saw three possible ways and decided to take the one that led straight ahead, ignoring the uneasiness that came from the dark vents she dismissed.

It was so sudden and fast, that no one could have ever reacted to the attack they faced next.

A Stalker had thrown itself at Abby when she reached the fork in the vents, the violent movements and the sudden increase of weight made the duct collapse, taking them all down.

Now the only source of light was the hole they had fallen through. And it wasn't big enough to cut the uncanny darkness reigning in that sector.

The Stalker disappeared behind them and they looked at each other. The hope they had shared not long ago was quickly replaced by a new state of alert.

Their flashlights casted horrible shapes in the bloodstained walls, and they walked fearing every shadow, completely mute. 

They were getting to what seemed like the way out when they heard the now familiar yell of the big mass of extremities.

“We’re not fucking dying here!” Abby said, breaking the silence.

Lev saw her and Ellie waiting with a couple of pipe bombs each. He took out his gun and turned around, aiming at every pillar and car where the other creature could be hiding.

As soon as the monster was visible under the lights, bomb after bomb soared into the air reaching its destination and setting it ablaze. 

Fire illuminated their surroundings for a second, and Lev saw a shadow crouching next to a car. It disappeared before he could show it to the others.

“Good riddance” Ellie said looking at the now inert being.

“No one is ever gonna believe that shit” Abby said and they started moving again.

“I still can’t” Ellie added.

“Yeah. Fuck this place” Abby said with a last look around.

The light ahead was like a ray of hope. Lev took the lead with an arrow already tensed and the gun resting safely in its holster.

Not far and hiding in the darkness, the Stalker knew exactly where to go. There was nothing left from the human it had once been, except for a certain resemblance in its shape. 

That foul organism now had only one goal, one incentive...

Several floors above, Nora was sweating. It had been a while since the last time she had to work so fast and under so much pressure.

She wasn’t a field medic, and there was a reason for that. But apparently Abby really cared for this girl, to the extent of doing the unthinkable.

“Hang in there darling… we're almost done” she said to an unconscious Yara.

Outside, Whitney didn’t feel like playing and that was saying something. She had been scolding herself for telling the guys to keep her posted. 

“ _Stupid, giving them an excuse to return_ ”

The fact that Abby had been on the island was just something that made her curious. She imagined one scenario after the other, and finally got to the conclusion that it didn’t really matter after all.

It’s been a while since she started questioning Isaac and the way he handled things, but she was safe and comfortable. That had been enough so far. 

And then Abby showed up with an injured Scar, willing to risk her life for her. That made her consider things a little more seriously.

She looked at the closed door where Nora was working, and decided to do something else than staying there feeling angry with herself.

With a last look back, she left her post and went to the big room that was around the corner.

In her mind, she was on a critical mission, the protagonist of a personal mini-game that immediately transformed something ordinary into an action that had scores, enemies and time. 

She smiled when she saw that her made-up game had been set to the easiest difficulty, as she found everything she had thought of, and more.

Down in the lowest level of the hospital, Abby, Lev and Ellie were walking closely together, each looking at a different point.

They spotted the Stalker following them from a distance, and decided to continue going with extreme care.

It hid behind a pillar that was a little ahead and Ellie saw it standing up and making a weird maneuver.

“Look out!” she said and pushed the others back, avoiding the acid bomb it had thrown.

“It’s coming from the right!” Ellie was so sure that the others didn't think twice.

Without the surprise element, the Stalker found itself unable to escape, nor to endure the precise and relentless attacks of the three survivors that unloaded everything they had.

“How did you know?” Lev asked Ellie with his eyes fixed on the motionless creature.

“I just saw it” Ellie answered plainly as she reloaded her gun with the last clip she had.

“Is it dead?” he asked without looking away.

“Looks like it. Let’s go before we find something else”

With the danger gone, they realized they were in the morgue. Bags with bodies were visible on the gurneys and stretches all around.

Ellie picked up some supplies from the shelves and saw Abby crouching in front of a metal door.

“Is that it?” she asked her.

“Only one way to find out” she said as she opened it.

There was a collective relief when they saw light coming strong from the left side of the parking lot, where half a dozen military vehicles were parked in the worst way.

They walked out of the darkness and into the clean air outside, taking out their masks and feeling that it had been ages since the last time they felt safe.

“Back to Yara now?” Abby asked with a smile.

The look on Lev’s face was the best reward for the incredibly deed they had just performed. 

Abby saw Ellie walking slowly towards her with a determination that seemed to electrify her whole body. Lev was a little apart and crouched with a smile, suddenly very interested in a flower.

The kiss Ellie gave her was perfect, and immediately jumped to the top position of her personal list.


	40. “May your survival be long”

Ellie could feel Abby’s warmth, and the hypnotizing scent that definitely had became the most delicious smell she could ever imagine. She loved how soft her lips felt against her mouth, and the electricity that traveled through her body as an urgent message that needed to be delivered.

There were so many things she wanted to say, especially to Lev, but somehow she had found herself inevitable and utterly attracted to the person that was so tenderly receiving her love.

“I’m sorry… I…” she said after releasing her and feeling as if coming out of a trance.

Abby wrapped her in a tight embrace, digging her fingers into her now loose and dirty auburn hair. 

What she felt when she saw Ellie going after the creature, and then seeing her in its grasp, had left a huge impression on her. If she had any doubts about her feelings, they had been reduced to cinder in the lower levels of the hospital, along with that spawn of death.

“You beat me to that” she stared at her eyes and caressed her face.

They looked at Lev and smiled. 

“Lev, you were so brave” Ellie said, walking towards him.

“I was really scared” he stood up and kicked a pebble.

“And you recovered really fast! That shit scared the hell out of me” Ellie said with a quick look at the darkness they were leaving behind.

Lev gave her a shy smile.

“You were right, arrows didn’t work” he shivered when he remembered that awful moment.

“I didn't see you miss any arrows, or bullets” Abby said in awe.

“It wasn't so difficult after the first one” he rubbed his neck, a little shy.

“Lev, the Demon Slayer” Abby said in a celebratory way, but not as loud as she would have wanted.

They weren't exactly safe yet.

“Demon Slayer!” Ellie repeated with a grin.

“Yara will never believe this” joy sparkled inside of him.

“Maybe you could draw the thing for her” Abby said to Ellie.

“Fuck no! I don’t wanna see that shit ever again!”

Abby and Lev suppressed a laugh at the expression on her face.

They started going back, but soon had to stop and hide.

“ _ Get down _ ” Abby whispered when she saw people heavily armed.

“Looks like we won’t be going that way”

The sky was getting clearer as dawn began to break. Their eyes were itchy and they felt their bodies following commands like puppets in fate’s hands. Fatigue was not the best weapon against patrollers.

Voices and the sound of guns being reloaded made them hide behind a wall. Ellie looked at Abby and then at Lev and waited. They were so close.

“Are they sending a team down there?”

“I don’t know”

“God dammit”

One of the guys spat on the ground and looked at the spot where the girls and Lev were hiding.

“They better don’t make us go”

“ _ Wait till further notice _ … What a fucking perfect way to start the day”

“Hey, at least we weren’t sent to the island”

“Don’t start with that…”

Abby tensed. They had no way of knowing if the others had returned from the island. Or what they knew.

“On my signal” she whispered over her shoulder and the others immediately took position, hiding in the darkest areas.

She knew that the Wolves had very predictable routes for surveillance, and soon she found the perfect time to move forward.

A sound that in any other circumstance would have brought her joy and happiness was now a sign of trouble and fear. Dogs.

“ _ Shit… _ ” 

“Lev, you ok?” Ellie saw him shaking.

“Yeah… it’s just… I don’t like dogs”

He had been scared before, terrified at the creature when he had been literally at death’s door. 

And even though he was now accompanied and in an open space, those animals awakened a reaction so strong in him that he feared he would become a bourdain.

“Hey, it’s ok. We won’t let them hurt you” Abby said with her eyes fixed on him.

Nodding, he crafted the tiniest smile and swallowed the fear.

“That’s it, we can do this”

Very slowly, they started moving again, the shadows and the tall grass hiding them from view.

Abby knew how dogs reacted, having trained at least a couple of them. She was able to read their body language in a way that allowed them to cover a big part of the way without being detected.

“ _ Almost there _ ” she thought when she realized where they were.

Ellie heard Lev’s sudden intake of breath. One of the dogs had separated from its owner and started sniffing out, dangerously close to where they had just been.

“What is it boy?” the man asked, looking for any signal of alert.

They didn’t wait to see if the animal followed their trail, and hastened to get away. 

The entrance door was right around the corner, and there were two men standing guard.

Ellie picked up a brick and showed it to Abby, who nodded and gave Lev a knowing look.

The sound of the material breaking called the guy’s attention, making them leave their post.

They got to the door and saw an empty corridor awaiting them, but they had to dash towards the stairs when they heard voices echoing ahead.

When the door closed behind them it was as if light had stayed on the other side. The sudden darkness that surrounded them triggered a quick and unwelcome flashback of the horror they had just faced. 

Their bodies were so tired that not even adrenaline could make them more alert.

“ _ Yes _ ” Abby said in a low voice at the sight of the door she was looking for.

“Alright, let me go first like before. Wait here”

Ellie and Lev nodded, squinted at the sudden brightness and saw the door closing behind her.

Nora checked the IV line that had supplied the intravenous fluids, wiped her forehead and started cleaning the area, relieved to see that everything had turned out fine.

“ _ Abby, you better get here safe _ ” she said nervously at the thought of her friend in such a dangerous situation.

Yara moaned and Nora covered her with a blanket, taking her hair out of her face. She looked at the old scars on the sides of her mouth and sighed.

“So much suffering…”

A knock on the door startled her.

“Whitney” she said when she found her on the other side with a backpack that she was holding like a stuffed animal.

“How is she?” 

“She’ll be fine”

“Good, good”

“What’s that?”

“Oh, nothing… just a few things”

“For?”

“Abby”

Nora raised an eyebrow and Whitney just shrugged.

“You’re so weird”

“Hey! Why?”

Nora chuckled and turned to Yara.

“She looks so small” Whitney said leaving the backpack on the ground.

“Yeah, I bet she’s strong as hell though”

“And you called  _ me  _ weird”

They were laughing when the door opened wide.

Abby would have given everything she had for a picture of their reaction.

“Jeez, guys, it’s just me”

“Abs!”

“How is she?”

“She’ll be a little weak for a while, but she’ll be fine. What happened down there?”

Nora looked from the blood stains on Abby’s clothes to the extreme change in her appearance.

“Oh you know… the usual”

“It didn’t sound like the usual”

“Did you hear it?”

“The explosions? Hell yeah… you weren’t too subtle, right?”

“We had no other way… Shit, Nora, if you knew”

Abby stopped dramatically and didn’t say anything else.

“Knew what?”

“I don’t have time now, but I’ll tell you all about it when we meet again”

“Are you going away?”

“Can't stay where she could be killed” she said looking at Yara.

“You really care”

“I really do”

“And Ellie?”

“Who’s Ellie?” Whitney asked looking from one to the other.

“My girlfriend” Abby said, feeling her face burning.

“Oh… Abby, congratulations”

“What for?”

“I don’t know, for finding love in a hopeless place?”

“Oh my god...”

They laughed and Yara moved. Abby came closer to her.

“We need to go”

“I know” Nora said, suddenly feeling conflicted.

“Where are you going?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think we can go back to the Aquarium now”

“Aquarium?” Whitney asked with illusion.

“Why not?” Nora asked, ignoring her.

“It’s surrounded by infected… Besides, I’m not sure if they’re gonna be looking for us”

“Who?”

“Nora, Isaac’s dead” Abby said and they stared wide-eyed.

“How do you know?”

“He tried to kill us…”

Silence fell over them, but not for long.

“So where are you going?” Nora said after she recovered from the news.

“We know a place… it’s a bit far, but it’s the safest we have for now”

“Sounds like I’m gonna miss you”

“You can always come with us”

Whitney’s eyes shone with hope.

“Me too?”

Abby took her time to answer, only to tease her.

“Sure” she said after a while and snorted when Whitney sighed with relief.

“And you?” she asked Nora.

“I don’t think I can, not for now at least”

Abby just nodded and started taking the elements from the list one by one, feeling really good at the reaction that caused.

“Holy shit, you found everything!”

“Sorry, Whitney, didn’t see any cables. But I’ll keep my promise”

“That’s ok. You’ll find it, I know it”

“Aren’t you coming?”

“Not yet, I’m not as brave as you guys. I’ll go with Nora”

Nora gave her a smile.

“Oh, but I do have something for you” Whitney handed Abby the backpack she had.

“What’s this?” she asked and Nora shrugged.

Her face lightened with a huge smile when she opened it.

“Whitney! Is this for real?”

“What is it?” the sudden mystery piqued Nora’s curiosity.

Abby showed her the contents: clips of ammo, canned food, water, juice and even a couple of small books completed what looked like the best present she’d ever had.

“How did you do it?” Nora asked Whitney, impressed by her initiative.

“It’s nothing. They’ll need it more than we do” she answered.

Abby accommodated the backpack over her shoulder and took the blanket from Yara.

“I don’t have to tell you this, but please be careful. It was a terrible wound, and I’m afraid it could open if put under pressure” Nora said.

“Got it. Anything else?” Abby said as Whitney helped her with Yara.

“Keep it dry. At least for the first two weeks… I know, I know, sounds impossible, but at least try” she added when Abby looked at her raising an eyebrow.

Yara had a lot more color on her face now, and a bandage so white that it shone against her dirty clothes.

“Nora, thank you” Abby said with true honesty.

“Anytime” she answered with a wink.

“We’ll be waiting for you”

“I know. I just need to tie up a few loose ends around here and then I can go for a ride”

“Speaking of rides…”

“Yeah, I thought you’d asked. And yes, I have a solution”

Abby looked so enthusiastic that Nora couldn't help but chuckle.

“Ok, I know there’s an old jeep in parking lot B3. Getting there would be the problem”

“I can help with that” Whitney offered, feeling courageous for once.

“Perfect”

“May your survival be long” Nora extended a hand to Abby.

“May your death be swift” she said back.

The last members of the Salt Lake City crew looked at each other, sharing more with their eyes than with words. 

With a last nod and a knot on her throat, Abby followed Whitney out.

“I heard a rumour about the Fireflies” Whitney suddenly said as they were heading towards the stairs.

“What?” Abby asked, a little shaken.

“I remember when I saw you and Nora just now”

“What did you hear?”

“It was some time ago, just an address. I know I wrote it down somewhere”

“Whitney, shit… are you serious?”

“I didn't hear the whole thing, but apparently they were based somewhere… south?”

“Where?”

“I must have that paper around. If you wait…”

“I can't, not with so many people patrolling now” Abby said, thinking that sooner or later the Wolves that attacked the island will return. If they hadn't yet.

“Alright, I’ll find it and then help Nora so we can go meet you as soon as possible”

“That’d be awesome”

Whitney looked happy as she led the way. There was no one around, and Abby followed her with a warm heart. Fireflies… ¿were they still out there?

“Abby, can I visit this Aquarium of yours?”

“It’s not mine, but sure… You may find a couple of things there”

“I love the ocean and everything related”

“I never knew that”

“We never talked much, right?”

“Well, you were always playing”

“Yeah… sorry about that”

“No need”

They shared a smile as they reached the stairs. Ellie and Lev recoiled in fear when they saw Whitney.

“It’s ok! I’m with Abby”

She noticed that all of them shared the same look. The dry blood and mud on their clothes were not the only evidence of their fierce battle.

“Yara!” Lev got closer to her and she moved a little in Abby’s arms, but didn’t wake up.

“Is she ok?”

“She will be” Abby said with a smile that brought peace to his troubled mind.

“Ellie, Lev, this is Whitney. Whitney, Ellie and Lev”

They shook hands with a shy smile.

“Nice to meet you”

“You too”

“Ellie, could you draw a map to Jackson?” Abby asked and Ellie immediately put into work.

In less than a minute she gave it to Abby, who marked the road to the Aquarium and handed the paper to a very excited Whitney, with clear instructions.

“Let me take that” Ellie said as she took the extra backpack from Abby. 

Whitney beamed when she thought about the happiness they will feel once they get to open that. And by the looks of it, they needed something good.

“Alright, time to go” Abby said, checking on Yara and looking at the others.

Whitney was leading the way again, feeling important. She knew perfectly well where to go in order to avoid any unpleasant surprise. They reached parking lot B3 in no time.

“This is the one” she said taking out a set of keys from a dusty cork panel.

She turned with them in her hand and took out the cover from a vehicle that had been under it for what seemed like forever.

“Does it work?” Abby asked, hesitant.

“Let’s see”

Whitney jumped in and turned the keys. It didn't start.

Some attempts later the roar of the engine filled the air, startling them.

“I think we’ll need to hurry now” Abby said as she carefully put Yara in the backseat, Lev already at her side.

“Thank you” Ellie said to Whitney.

“No problem. Hey, we’ll see each other again, Abby promised me a new game”

“What?” Ellie looked baffled.

“Yeah, I guess you’ll be in charge of that now” Abby said to her and snorted at the look on her face.

“See ya soon then” Ellie waved goodbye as she sat on the passenger seat.

“You bet!”

Lev returned Whitney’s farewell and they went away. 

Luckily for them, no one was patrolling that area and soon they were on the road, looking for a safe place where to rest their exhausted bodies.

The sun was starting to rise when Abby stopped the car in front of an abandoned house.

“We could try…” she said to Ellie, who couldn't agree more.

“Wait here. I’ll check if it’s safe” Ellie jumped out of the car, prepared a silencer and reloaded her gun. 

A few minutes later, they saw her signaling from inside.

Lev opened the door to let Abby enter. She put Yara on the couch Ellie had already cleared and dusted.

“Abby, what’s this?” Ellie asked at the backpack Whitney had given her.

“Open it and weep”

Ellie raised an eyebrow and she could have really cried of joy at the sight.

“How?”

“A present from Whitney”

“I’m gonna find her all the games I can” Ellie said as she opened a can and gave it to Lev.

He tried it with his eyes closed, expecting something horrible. But soon he could see the bottom of his empty can.

“I should have saved for Yara” he said blanching.

“There’s plenty for her too, d’you want some more?” Abby asked, amused.

“Yes, please”

The safety they had found and the food they were enjoying were the perfect way to end what had seemed like a neverending nightmare.

Yara moaned and slowly opened her eyes.

“Yara!” Lev said next to her.

“Where are we?”

“Safe, for now” Abby said with a smile.

“How do you feel?” Ellie asked.

“I don't know… good, I think”

“I bet you’ll feel better after this” Ellie nudged Lev as she gave him an opened can.

They shared a happy meal, talking about the horrible creature they had defeated, Yara interrupting every now and then, asking for more details.

“I think you’ll end up drawing it anyway” Abby teased Ellie.

“Among other things” she said sipping some juice, and thinking about all they had experienced in just one night.


	41. “It sure ain’t a clicker…”

“I think it’s time to get some rest” Abby said as they looked at Lev open-mouthed on the couch.

“You go ahead, I’ll keep watch” Ellie took out her gun and grabbed a clip of ammo from Whitney’s backpack.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine” she said with confidence as she safely put the reloaded weapon in its holster.

“D’you need anything?” Abby asked tilting her head with the cutest smile.

“Some energy would be good”

“Maybe this could help” Abby whispered as she got closer to give her a tight hug.

“It does… it’s perfect” Ellie muttered, burying her face in her chest, her hands slid along Abby’s sculpted forearms.

“I can do the first watch, you look really tired” Abby gently stroked her hair.

“I’m ok, you go have some sweet dreams” she said the last part mischievously, knowing that it was a hard task after seeing that creature.

“Yeah…  _ sweet _ ” Abby repeated with a smirk and Ellie blushed.

“I meant…”

“Oh, I know exactly what you meant, I’m just choosing another memory” she winked at her, turned and started accommodating Lev, who was sleeping so deep that didn't mind being moved.

Ellie turned crimson and Yara snickered.

“I can watch” she offered and motioned to stand up, but Ellie stopped her.

“Oh no, you should definitely rest. I’ll be fine, seriously”

“I’ll rest, but I’m not tired. Maybe we can just talk?” Yara said with a smile.

“That would be perfect”

“Good, now if you don’t mind…” Abby said as she lied on the pillows she had set next to Lev, who was now using her jacket as a blanket. 

“See ya later” she said waving a hand in the air.

“Alligator” Ellie answered with a chuckle.

“What?” Yara asked looking around and they had to cover their mouths to hide a laugh.

Ellie was checking the perimeter. 

Her steps were quiet and steady, each sound was perfectly controlled and planned in advance. She had spent years perfecting the stealth techniques Joel had taught her, and by now, anyone who crossed her path could tell that she had succeeded.

The sun shone bright from behind a cloud, making her squint. She was tired, but there was still some  _ energy  _ in her. Her frown disappeared at the thought of that last hug.

As she walked away, she glanced back at the house that looked somewhat warmer, even with the fire out. Her heart melted when she realized that it was love. She loved the people it was sheltering inside, all of them.

That was enough motivation to stay alert and finish securing the area.

The song of a bird made her feel relaxed, apart from being a beautiful sound of life, it meant that there were no creatures around. Birds seem to flee from them, making it easier to identify possible dangerous areas. 

It didn't work every time, but it reminded her of something she used to do with Joel, and she let the sudden flashback take over her mind.

_ “Joel, what bird is that? I can't tell… ” a much younger Ellie asked with a chortle, stopping and looking back at the man that was slowly walking behind her.  _

_ He halted and looked up, the sunlight shone through the trees and over him, casting his big shadow over the expectant girl.  _

_ The bird sang one more time, as if challenging him. He closed his eyes with a smile when he recognized the loud and rolling rattle. _

_ “Oh, you’re gonna love this kiddo” _

_ “What?” Ellie said with the huge smile that he loved to see. _

_ “It sure ain’t a clicker…” _

_ “Ehm… of course not” _

_ “It’s a Northern flicker!” he said, raising an eyebrow and waiting for her reaction. _

_ “Joel!” Ellie laughed out loud and clapped her hands, making the bird fly away. _

_ “It was” he said with a chuckle and then looked at her pouting face with an affectionate smile. _

The cracking sound of a door opening brought Ellie back to the present, and she saw Yara peering out. She gave her a signal and started walking towards her, relishing the strong feelings that were flowing through her body.

“Everything ok?” Yara asked her as she closed the door, noticing her eyes a little watery.

“Yeah, you? How’s the arm?” 

“Better, thank you”

“That medicine of yours is really something”

“It’s the first time I use it, that’s why I forgot…”

“Well, that’s good to hear, means you hadn’t been that hurt before”

Yara looked at her with a funny expression and didn't add anything else.

“Lev is really brave” Ellie saw him changing position and getting closer to Abby.

“He tries too hard, I’m afraid he considers himself kind of invincible”

“I assure you that none of us did last night”

“Was it that horrible?”

Ellie nodded in silence.

“Trust me, it was worse than it sounds”

“I trust you”

They shared a knowing smile and Ellie looked for something in Whitney’s backpack.

“Here, you need lots of liquid”

“Thank you” Yara took the bottle Ellie was handing her, and started drinking a juice that had a flavour she had never tasted before.

It wasn't bad... at all.

  
  


Whitney was looking at the mess she had left in her room. She couldn't find the piece of paper and was starting to panic. 

At the moment it was just something she wanted to use as a way to make conversation. If she had known it was that important…

“Where did I put you!” she kicked her bed with anger and immediately regretted that action, as pain ran through her foot and up her leg.

“Alright Whitney, time to get serious…” she said jumping up and down on the spot until the pain went away. 

With her hands held in front of her like an imaginary detector, she started inspecting her things without touching them, as if expecting the paper to suddenly glow.

“Yeah, that didn't work” she said after a while and started retracing her steps as if rewinding a movie, until she got to the same spot where she had started.

“Ok, next strategy…”

Nora was in her office checking things off a list and trying to escape from the bad mood that surrounded the guys. 

Most of the Wolves that had survived the assault to the island had gone straight to the FOB, with several losses and too much anger to deal with.

Only one team had arrived at the hospital. They were exhausted, wounded, bleeding, angry and in a very altered state of mind.

The general instruction was to kill Abby on sight, and whenever someone asked why, the answer was the same, spreading the news of what happened like an avalanche that was bound to wipe out every trace of alliance or friendship with her.

Nora worked tirelessly to tend the injured soldiers. She counted with a couple of assistants, and they managed to successfully treat every single one of them.

She collected a few things and when she opened the door, she saw a man standing in the middle of the hallway.

“Hey Nora, you and Abby were friends… right? Did she say anything?”

“I told you, I haven’t seen her”

“I bet you had something going on…”

“Stop that, it’s getting old” a small white box fell from her hands, but she didn’t move.

“See?”

“See what?”

“You’re avoiding the question”

“What question?”

The man was about to answer, but frown. Nora quickly grabbed the little box and pushed him on her way out.

She wanted to get out of there as soon as possible, but now she had the terrible feeling that she was going to be followed. And she would do everything in her power to avoid that. 

She was walking absentmindedly when she heard voices again.

“Did you see the arms?”

“Yeah, all of them… and the legs….”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to sleep well again”

“Me too…”

“Good thing that area is clear now”

“Yeah, but who did it?”

They looked at each other just when Nora walked towards them.

“Hey Nora…”

She sighed and stopped, thinking “ _ Here we go again _ ”.

“Yes?”

“Did you see the creature?”

“What creature?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

“The one that’s on the lower level… shit, I’m not sure whether you should miss it or see it, just for history’s sake”

“Is it safe down there?” she asked, unable to stop her curiosity from spiking.

“Safest it’s been for decades”

“Alright, I’ll go take a look then”

“Maybe you shouldn’t”

“Oh no, there’s no turning back now… move”

She walked towards the doors grateful for the distraction and greeted a couple of Wolves that were guarding the area. She left her things down, put on a mask, took a flashlight, and started walking down the same path Abby, Ellie and Lev had covered not so long ago.

Yara was reading one of the books Whitney had found and Ellie was finishing sorting the rest of the contents inside “The Gift”, as they were calling it now. They had plenty of food to last them a week or more, along with medicine and even some iron supplements for Yara.

“Is it good?” Ellie asked her as she gave a last look out of the window and closed the curtains. 

“So far… yes” Yara answered with a smile.

Ellie sat opposite her and covered a huge yawn with her hand.

“What is… it about?” she said suppressing another one.

Yara smiled at her half-closed eyes and started to talk about the book, deliberately using a tone that she knew was soothing enough. 

A few minutes later Ellie was snoring and Yara chuckled. She looked from Lev to Abby and closed her eyes with a huge smile, thanking for the safety and the company in a private prayer.

The lower level of the hospital was illuminated by the improvised lights the Wolves had set when they searched the place. The explosions had called the attention of every soldier around, and they had all taken the same path as the girls and Lev.

“Alright, where’s this thing?”

Although the place was illuminated, and apparently deprived of any living form, Nora had a strange feeling. The air was so thick that light didn’t reach every corner and that bothered her.

She was walking slowly, casting her light on every strange shape. The spores made it difficult to see and only added a grim look to an already uninviting sight. 

The bodies that laid still in the gurneys were like a personal offense for any doctor.

Suddenly, she felt a pressure on her shoulder. And the sound she heard behind her neck made her froze with horror, too frightened to scream or turn.

Whitney had given up searching in the mess and decided to put everything in order, with the hope of eventually finding what she was so desperately looking for.

“It was a yellow paper with blue ink… yellow paper, blue ink, yellow paper, blue ink”

Repeating that piece of information as a mantra, she found several things she had thought were lost, but not a sign of the only one she wanted to see right now.

A picture of her family fell from the pockets of the old pants she was folding. It was the only one she had, and even though it was already fading, she could clearly see every single face.

When she looked at it, her memory filled the missing colours and shapes. She put it safely in her inner pocket and continued with her search, drying a lonely tear with the back of her hand. 

It had been a while since the last time she saw it, since she saw them...

  
  


Lev woke up to the sound of chattering and saw Abby and Yara reading a book. He took off the jacket that was covering him from the cold and put it aside when he sat upright.

“Hi…” he said in a croaky voice, rubbing his eyes.

“’Morning, feeling ok?” Abby asked him.

“Yeah, I’m ok. Where’s Ellie?” he said after a quick scan of the room.

Abby nodded towards the improvised bed that was behind him.

“Oh…” he said, lowering his voice.

Ellie was fast asleep, curled up and now holding Abby’s jacket so tight that it looked funny.

“Hungry?” Abby asked and Lev heard his stomach rumbling.

“Very!”

He grabbed the apple Abby handed him and took a second to appreciate the water droplets that sparkled over it. 

It broke between his teeth with a soft crunch and he felt the sweet and fresh juice falling from the corners of his mouth. He wiped it with his sleeve and took a bigger bite, his cheeks tingling at the explosion of flavour and freshness.

Abby offered Yara an orange, but she refused it. Then, she peeled it and offered her a slice. She refused it again. 

“I already ate, thank you”

“You need this”

“Ok, only one”

Abby smiled when she saw her eating the slice in one bite and then staring at the rest of the orange. 

She separated the segments and put them in a clean cloth between them so she could grab at pleasure. Soon there were only three slices left.

Ellie turned and mumbled something in her sleep, Lev looked at her and noticed her exposed tattoo. Abby noticed that and thought fast.

“Lev, did you tell Yara about your new nickname?”

“My what?” he said looking away from Ellie and Abby sighed with relief.

  
  


“Nora... the last team is down there” a man said, taking his hand from her shoulder.

“Why did you make that sound! You almost scared me to death!”

“Sorry, I think I’m getting a cold”

“Shit… Alright, where do I find this creature?”

“Just follow the light… and prepare to shit your pants”

“Good to know chivalry isn’t dead” she said with a chuckle that was immediately muted by the horrible scene that was in front of her.

The walls were covered in blood and the excessive amount of fungus in that specific area created strange shadows. Her hand traveled down to her waist, where she noticed the absence of the gun she hadn’t used in a very long time. 

A fully loaded gun that was safely stored in her room, completely useless.

The silence was broken by the sporadic commands from guys that were carrying supplies outside. 

“Nora, didn’t think you’d be this curious”

“What can I say?” she said, shrugging and internally agreeing with him.

_ “What am I doing here?”  _ she thought to herself as she walked deeper into that hellish place.

She should be preparing her stuff, getting ready to leave… but there was a stronger feeling commanding her now. And curiosity was just a small part of it.

As a doctor, she had focused on metabolism and how time affects tissues and wounds. She spent a lot of time with the infected, trying to understand the virus. 

And she had been a little envious of Mel, who had been closer to Dr. Anderson than her. But she remembered everything he shared with them. It was such a shame that he was gone, the world had lost more than the cure that day.

She shook her head and went on.

“YES!” Whitney jumped with joy at the look of the blue ink against the yellow paper she had in her hands.

“ _ 2425 Constance. Santa Barbara _ . Now, to find Nora and start a new adventure!” she said holding the paper up in a victorious way.


	42. “Curiouser and curiouser”

Lev and Abby were preparing snacks for the road using the ingredients they grabbed from The Gift. 

Yara was on the couch with her eyes closed and her legs outstretched. Her injured arm safely and comfortably secured by the sling Nora had given her.

She wasn’t sleeping, only resting, as she repeated so many times. But the occasional snoring said otherwise.

“Are you done with those?” Abby asked Lev, who nodded and put the results of their work inside the sling backpack he took from the peg by the door.

“Neat” she said when she saw him trying it on.

“Uh?”

“Like, cool” she added and her smile was instantly mirrored on his face.

They made considerable noise checking the rest of the house and when they re-entered the living room, they saw Yara stretching and looking at them with puffy eyes.

Ellie was still in the arms of Morpheus, completely unaware of what was happening around her.

“Let’s give her a moment… we can hit the road when she wakes up” Abby said and saw two heads turning her way.

“Hit the… road?” Lev and Yara looked baffled.

“Leave this place, begin the journey” she added and she could see their minds working to learn the new vocabulary. 

“Neat” Lev said, raising an eyebrow at Yara’s look of surprise.

Abby chuckled and gave them, and her sleeping girlfriend, a warm smile before she started checking their backpacks to store the few things she had found useful.

Ellie’s was almost full and she closed it properly, so nothing could fall from it when they were on the go. 

She ran a finger through the pins attached to the worn out fabric. The one with the horse she gave her a while ago was clearly in a privileged position, and she felt her cheeks warm when she remembered that day.

Lev saw her and made a mental note about those shiny things that looked so important.

Nora felt as if stepping into a different dimension.

The voices she recently heard felt long gone, and now the absence of sound was thick and heavy, like an invisible blanket covering every sign of life in that somber place.

Her steps were decisive and she had been even more alert after the unexpected scare from before. If she weren't so focused and busy, she would be plotting a nice revenge.

And then she saw it. There was no mistake.

The abnormal shadow that was casted against the bloody wall was everything she had expected to see. And still she wasn't ready for the impression.

She was paralyzed to the spot, her eyes locked in the huge, sickening and motionless mass of fungus and limbs.

Her hand started to tremble, making the light flicker over the creature, and giving it a grotesque, and very unnecessary, sense of motion.

“No... no” she was now holding the flashlight with both hands to stop it from shaking.

Her footsteps and her faint voice were the only sounds that broke the silence, and she found herself being drawn by the creature, unable to believe what she was witnessing, and unable to move away.

Her mask was steamed-up, a clear sign that she was hyperventilating.

“Calm down… and just breathe normally” her chest started to relax, and the rhythm of her over accelerated heart was slowly reaching its normal speed.

She didn’t know where to begin, so she chose the upper body. Or what she identified as one.

Fear and shock soon gave way to curiosity. She felt challenged, and excited about that. It had been so long...

She started circling the thing, almost tip-toeing to get the light around the several extremities protruding from impossible angles.

“A Stalker, no, two… wait” her eyes opened wide, “Stalkers, and Clickers too… but how?” her mind was working fast.

“ _ Curiouser and curiouser _ ” she said rubbing her chin, and allowed herself a muffled chuckle for her witty remark in such a moment.

“Alright, I see… so... this fungus...” she took the dissecting forceps she always carried in her pocket and started to slowly, and carefully, examine the marred flesh.

“A Bloater… as the base. You really were  _ something else _ ” she said in a special tone, and shivered at the thought of it being alive and active all this time.

She sat there for a while with a deep frown. And then she got her answer in the form of a lugubrious epiphany.

“The empty gurneys… ” she said in a hushed voice looking down at the creature, and bit her lip.

Her sad discovery was quickly replaced by a pressing need for knowledge.

She sat on the hood of the car nearby with eyes that shone with excitement, her hand dancing furiously on the notepad she was using to jot down some notes, and doing her best to put into words what she was seeing.

Whitney was in such a good mood that it was contagious.

“Isn’t it a beautiful day?” she asked blocking the sun with her hand to a guy that gave her a stern look, but ended up smiling at the sight of her persistent grin.

“If you say so…” he said with a chuckle.

She nodded and looked ahead with her hands on her waist, picturing an invisible cape waving on her back.

“Hey Whit… looking good!” a girl said to her as she walked by.

“Hey Deb!” she waved back.

Feeling successful, she started asking about Nora and was surprised to see that her name wasn’t as welcomed as before. 

_ “Right... Abby _ ”

They were all talking about Abby now, making plans to go after her, and looking for a way to avenge the terrible betrayal they felt.

“Nora? Should be in her office, right?” a guy finally told her, following her with his eyes when she left.

Whitney walked towards that place, feeling a little less cheerful than before.

  
  


Yara was looking at Ellie changing her bandage.

“Does it hurt?”

“No, don’t worry” she said with honesty.

She was known for being tough and never complaining. Her initiation ceremony had been something special too. The first child to cry only once.

She liked to think that her determination was one of her most important attributes. She had kept her promises and so far, she had never walked out of a commitment. 

Well, Lev would always be an exception to every rule. And now she knew that she would do the same for Ellie and Abby, smiling at the realization.

Ellie carefully removed the rest of the old bandage, feeling relieved at the sight of the wound. It looked awful, but it was healing perfectly good. Nora did a remarkable job.

She was thorough and cleaned it with so much care and love, that Yara was reminded of the first time she had come to her mother with a wound after becoming a soldier.

“Sure you’re ok?” Ellie asked her as she started to dress her arm again with a clean bandage, noticing a weird look on her face.

“Yeah, I’m ok”

Physical pain was something she could stand. She had trained for that and she was taught that it could be a way of purification, so she had always had the mettle to endure it.

“They told me you were really good with the bow… Soon you’ll be shooting arrows again” Ellie said looking at the newly patched wound, checking that everything was in order.

“I manage” Yara humbly said.

“Yeah, I manage too” Ellie said with a wink.

When Whitney got to Nora’s office she found it empty. 

“Looking for Nora?” a guy that was carrying a big white box stopped to ask.

“Yeah, have you seen her?”

“She went to the lower levels”

“What for?” Whitney asked perplexed.

“You’ll see…” he said with a mischievous smile.

She waved him goodbye and noticed the band on his arm. He was one of her assistants.

The guys guarding the entrance door greeted her, but stopped her from going on.

“Where’s your mask?”

“I don’t have it with me…”

“Then, you shall not pass” he said, spreading out his palms in front of him.

She snorted, but then looked defeated and started to turn.

“Hey! I was just messing with you” he said with a smile and she punched him in the shoulder.

“I should’ve known… d’you know what’s Nora doing down there?” she asked with curiosity.

“Looking at something”

“What?”

“Something she’ll never forget”

“Oh! Come on!”

“Go see it for yourself” he said, giving her the gas mask he had been hiding.

Whitney put it on and took out the small flashlight she always carried in a special compartment that she sewed on her pants, where she also kept her favorite tool. A pocket size Swiss Army knife that had belonged to her brother. 

Those were the only two things she never lent to anyone, and probably never will.

She followed the lights as instructed and got nervous when she noticed that they didn’t get to defeat the darkness in that god-forsaken place. 

“ _ Nora… what the hell are you doing here? _ ” she said wondering how on earth Abby and the rest managed to do this with the monsters still going around. 

She shivered at the thought and continued walking with her ears doing their best to catch any suspicious sound. 

Everytime she felt her heart trying to escape from her chest, she reminded herself that this was just the first chapter of her new life. If she wanted to be part of that amazing group of survivors, she would have to learn how to control her fear.

And this place seemed perfect for that purpose. 

Ellie finally woke up. Lev gave her a quick breakfast he had set aside.

As soon as she finished they started to take their things to the jeep, securing everything for the long journey that awaited them. 

Yara was instructed to avoid any movement with her arm and she was finding it hard to resist the urge of doing everything for herself. But seeing all of them taking care of her every need… wasn’t so bad after all.

“Yara! Think fast!” Ellie threw her a set of keys and she grabbed them with her good arm.

She looked at the metallic pieces that were shining bright in her hand, and before she could say anything, Ellie yelled again.

“Oh man… can you throw them back?” she said touching her pockets, giving her the impression that she had made a mistake.

Yara changed position and looked for the best way to perform that action. The keys traveled safely back to Ellie’s hands, and she beamed at her.

“What?” Yara asked, intrigued.

“You’ve successfully completed your first exercise” she said with a giggle as she got closer to her.

“Oh Ellie… thanks!” Yara said when she realized what she was doing.

Lev was looking at them and Abby couldn’t help but stare at the marks on his bald head.

“Can I ask you something?” she said to him.

“Sure” he looked at her with curiosity.

“Do you regret shaving your head?”

He took a moment to answer.

“We’re not supposed to have regrets…” he said with a serious face.

“I just wish I had escaped sooner, maybe she wouldn't have been caught in all of this…” he looked at Yara, who was animatedly talking with Ellie while she finished preparing the last of their stuff.

“Yeah, but what would have happened to her? Every soldier fought to defend the island, right?”

Lev looked pale.

“I never thought of that”

“No one could. It was something that it shouldn’t have happened in the first place”

“But it did…”

“Yeah, it did”

The island on fire was suddenly present in both minds, along with the personal melancholy Lev was feeling. 

He will never see that place again, and despite all of the good memories he considered lost, he was sure that they were going to a much better place. Or at least, with a much better company.

Whitney almost died when she met a couple of guys face to face on a very sharp turn.

“Sorry, Whitney! You ok?” one of the guys put a hand on her shoulder when he noticed how affected she looked.

“Yeah, I wasn’t expecting you…” she said with a hand on her chest, feeling her heart drumming hard.

“What are you doing down here?”

“Looking for Nora…”

“Oh, you’ll find her soon enough, can’t miss her I’d say…”

Whitney saw them leave, wondering what the hell he meant by that.

“ _ Nora _ ?” she asked out loud, but no response came to her so she continued walking.

She continued walking, moving her flashlight around until she finally found her. 

Shocking. That is the only way she could describe that moment.

Nora was completely absorbed in her notepad, the pen shining every now and then under the flashlight she was holding between her teeth.

“Nora?”

Whitney saw her face turning incredibly fast, too fast apparently.

“Ouch…” Nora exclaimed with a hand on her neck.

“What…” 

When she walked next to the creature, Whitney realized that what she had thought were just a couple of infected piled together, was in fact only one entity.

“You ok?” Nora asked her.

“Whitney?”

She looked stunned and Nora couldn’t help but understand her shock. She was used to seeing infected, dismembered limbs and all in all, death. 

Whitney, on the other hand, hadn’t been on the field that much. She had managed to stay safe and away from the creatures for a very long time. 

“ _ This must be like a crash course on reality for her _ ” she thought and finished the notes she was taking, giving her time to recover.

“How…” Whitney said after a while.

“I can tell you my theory, but maybe we should get the hell out of here first”

“Yeah, let’s g… is that a…? never mind” she said when she saw a little arm protruding from what can only be called as the back of the creature, if there was any back and front.

“Why did you come here? I never thought you’d be this curious, or brave” Nora added with a chuckle as they turned and started to walk out.

“Hey! Well, yes, I guess you’re right…. Oh yeah, I found it!”

“Found what?” Nora asked and Whitney took it like a personal offense, after all the trouble she had been through to find the damned paper.

“The address”

Nora looked at her baffled and Whitney realized she hadn’t said anything to her about what she discussed with Abby.

“Oh, I see…” Nora said when she heard the story.

“So now we can go find them and…”

“Whitney, I think we’ll need to take different roads” she said, stopping abruptly.

“What?” Whitney gaped at her in astonishment.

“They’re not happy with Abby, right?”

Whitney nodded when she remembered the attitude on the Wolves.

Nora looked troubled, but Whitney was not going to give up. 

“Let’s do it. Let’s take separate roads if necessary, but let’s go. Nora, I can’t stay here now”

“I never thought I'd see the day when you feel the need to leave the nest!”

“It was never a nest, just a shelter. I never felt like a true Wolf to be honest, I think I’m not cold enough”

“But you killed Scars and infected… I know it”

“I said I did” Whitney said embarrassed.

“Oh, Whitney…”

“Are you mad?”

“Why the hell would I be mad?”

“Dunno… because I lied?”

“Shit, Whitney, we all lie! Besides, the only bad thing about that is that now we’ll need to teach you some techniques to survive in the real world”

“The real world…”

“Yes, and I tell you right now, there are no “continues” or “extra lives”, you know?”

“Yeah, thanks Nora” Whitney snorted and felt a lot more confident.

“Ok, let’s do this right. I don’t want them to see us together. The less they know, the better” Nora said and Whitney nodded.

They started to make up a plan right there in the lower level, away from the creature, and away from the new danger that lurked outside. 

Those were men whose only motivation was justice, and a call for justice is always a cry for revenge.

“Are we ready to go?” Ellie asked around, getting a general “yes” as an answer.

“Alright then, I guess I’m driving now?” she said to Abby and asked for the keys.

“Sure, that’d be clever”

“Why clever?” Lev asked.

“Because she knows the way back”

“And because I’m a much better driver” Ellie said, turning around to wink at them and felt a soft nudge from Abby.

With the jeep full of supplies, their guns reloaded and their spirits high, they started their new adventure leaving behind not only the suffering and the madness of the hospital, but also a new enemy without even knowing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> GAME OF THE YEAR!!   
> Best Narrative ❤ and all those other amazing awards! So well deserved! 🎉❤🎉❤ 
> 
> Have a great rest of the year ;)


	43. “Going somewhere?”

Whitney was walking out of the hospital, trying to look busy. 

She trusted Nora's plan, but she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep up appearances as instructed. She felt her nerves already starting to fail, and was working hard to control the involuntary twitch on the corner of her mouth.

She had one hand in her pocket, and the other one waved to a guy that didn’t smile back. At all.

“Where’s your friend?” he asked briskly.

“Uh? Friend?”

“ _Nora_ ”

She didn’t like the tone he used and was about to say a few things, but luckily managed to control herself in a way she wasn’t expecting.

“Nora? My friend? That would be something… but no, I wouldn’t say that”

“Doesn’t look that way”

“Meaning?”

“Yeah, I don’t know… you sure looked really close” 

Whitney gave a decisive step towards him, smiling inside at his surprised face.

“Listen to me… ‘cause I’m gonna say this only once” the man gulped.

“When I get closer to someone…” she gave another step forward and saw him faltering before her cold eyes, “it’s because _that someone_ has _something_ I need. I don’t make _friends_ , I only make allies”

“Yeah… I’m not buying tha…”

“I don’t give a fuck what you buy or not. And I’m done pretending I care. Hasn’t worked for me so far…”

“Damn Whit…”

She walked away without saying another word or looking back, amazed at her self-control, and excited to see that she was actually able to do something like that.

Five minutes later she was still amazed at herself and was walking with a whole new attitude, until her shoe felt loose. She kneeled to tie the laces and heard voices.

“There you are!”

She looked around and saw Nora being surrounded by a group of Wolves.

“You can’t keep avoiding us”

“I’m not avoiding anyone” her voice was calm, giving nothing away.

And that annoyed them even more.

“Where’s Abby?”

“I don’t know”

“And we don’t believe you”

“What’s happening here?”

A guy that was almost twice the size of the others left his huge machine gun on the floor and looked at them with a face so serious it was intimidating.

“We’re just asking Nora about Abby”

He looked from them to Nora, who blinked lazily at him.

“Do you know where she is?” he asked her in a casual voice.

“No”

“Alright, then. That should settle it. Now the rest of you, stop wasting your time and prepare your gear, we’re leaving in an hour”

There was a moment of silence and he stared at them, making them flee with a last look back at Nora.

“Thank you” she said with honesty.

“You don’t need to thank me, I appreciate everything you’ve done for the men”

She saw him taking his heavy gun and putting it over his shoulder, slowly walking away.

Whitney had been close enough to listen and saw Nora shot her a quick look, but made no sign of seeing her and left with a sour look on her face.

“ _Yeah, I understand_ ” she thought, nervous and anxious about the situation they were in.

Those guys… looked dangerous.

“We sure walked a lot” Abby said as she peered out of the open window.

“Didn’t seem like it though” Ellie’s smile was huge.

“You walked all this? But you just said we’re not even half-way!” Lev asked, suddenly impressed.

“Well, we rode a horse for a while” Ellie stopped talking all of the sudden.

“ _Shimmer_ ” Abby thought, resting a hand on her leg for a second.

Ellie swallowed the knot it was starting to form in her throat.

“I don’t know how to ride a horse” Lev confessed.

“You’ll learn” Ellie said, finding her smile again.

There were so many possibilities ahead that the whole vehicle seemed to have transformed into a bubble of happiness and hope.

But bubbles are weak and tend to burst when you least expect it.

“Ellie”

She noticed the urgency in Abby’s voice and tightened the grip on the steering wheel.

Infected that heard the roar of the engine were now appearing from behind trees and empty houses.

“Should we take them down?”

“We should… but I don’t know, I have a bad feeling”

Ellie looked at her and nodded. She felt the same way.

Yara saw Lev taking an arrow and frowned at her injured arm.

“Get ready…” Ellie saw a group of runners closing the road ahead.

“Lev, you take the left side” Abby said as she drew her gun.

He nodded and tensed the arrow, feeling his legs weak.

“Remember the pressure” Yara told him and he changed position, noticing the improvement.

She had teached him some techniques when they were alone, and he was happy to see that those intensive and very short lessons were finally paying off.

Arrows and bullets alike reached the putrid bodies that were so desperately trying to catch them. Heads exploded under Abby’s skillful shots and Lev was doing his part with flying colors, taking care of every single creature that came from the other side.

They saw them forming a group behind them, but Ellie didn’t slow down and soon they disappeared behind the cloud of smoke the vehicle was leaving behind.

“Everyone ok?” Abby asked and they all nodded. 

Ellie didn’t take her eyes off the road, and soon felt her shoulders slowly relaxing again.

Nora was fuming. She never expected the other Wolves to behave the way they were doing now. At least one of them was sane enough to appreciate all of her hard work. She had seen him a couple of times, the leader of the West division. 

“Mark…no, Matt?” she couldn’t remember his name and shrugged as she started to prepare her backpack.

She felt the notepad on her pocket and took it out with a punch of excitement, reading some of the notes in a whisper.

_“Decades of infection developing in a confined environment… sealed around so many spores… the fungal growth bloomed and spread, so the infected were merged into each other”_

She closed it with a frown and walked to her window. Around ten people were standing guard outside her building, one of them made a signal and they all turned to look at her.

“Very subtle, guys” she said, closing the curtains.

“I hope Whitney can do her part” she thought as she took a change of clothes and a small book that she kept in a resealable plastic bag, picturing being on the road once again.

The last time she had followed Abby, they had a very different goal in mind. She sat on the floor, with her head suddenly filled with images of her lost friends. She would never blame Abby for their deaths. They were all conscious of the risks, and ready to give their lives for the cause.

And the Abby she saw now was a different person. She will never admit how moved she was when she saw her caring for that kid. Abby had always shown determination and cold blood when dealing with Scars. Some said it was her way of dealing with pain and guilt, treating every enemy as the culprit of her fatherless life.

She smiled at the memory of her blushing when introducing Ellie. Her first impression was that they made one hell of a couple, and she saw confirmation of that everytime they were together. There was something else surrounding them, something that certainly made them invincible.

And with that thought in mind, she gave one last look to what had been her bedroom, closing the door for the last time, and feeling an urgency to leave.

Ellie looked at the fuel gauge and her usually full lips were now pressed into a thin line. The needle was dangerously approaching the big E on the board.

“Should we try the W.L.F. post we saw deserted?” she discreetly pointed her finger to the gas indicator and Abby raised her eyebrows.

“Let’s decide when we get to the next crossroad, maybe we’ll find something useful on the way”

Ellie moved the rear-view mirror and found her intense eyes staring at her. She had to quickly recover from the pleasant shock and looked back at the road, feeling as if her whole body was on fire.

Abby cleared her throat and looked at the trees disappearing at her side, blushing furiously. She could feel the hot blood dancing through her limbs, and a warmth that had nothing to do with the hot sun above.

In the backseat, where no one had noticed this quick exchange, Lev kept looking at Yara with a smile that was getting bigger by the second. They had never been so far inland before, and the stores they were seeing right now were very different to what they knew.

As the vehicle reduced its speed, their bodies increased their alert mode, something that every survivor experienced in a world where nothing could be taken for granted. And since right now they were just traveling without any plan other than Jackson, they had time.

For once, no creature nor foe was chasing them. Or so they thought.

“Wait” Abby said and she took out something very small from one of the pockets of her backpack.

She gave one little black thing to Yara and another one to Ellie.

“A hairband! Thanks!” Ellie said and she immediately tied her hair.

Yara did the same, feeling that for once she would just use a ponytail, instead of her usual braid. Lev was looking at her with a smile, thinking that he had never seen her like that, so… free.

Abby always kept extra hairbands in case she lost the one she was using, because even though it looked like a very small thing, it could really transform her whole day. And as she saw them checking their things, she allowed to spend a few seconds on the memory that was slowly appearing before her closed eyes.

_“Lost your hairband, right?” Owen had said one day when she was in a very bad mood._

_“Shut the fuck up”_

_“Woah, hey! It’s just a hairband!”_

_“Tell me that when you have long hair”_

_“Alright, alright… At least now I know what could make you happy” he said with a wink._

The next Christmas she received a bag full of them. Owen had found so many, that she could use a different one every day for a whole year if she wanted. 

She walked with a smile after this unexpected flashback. Ellie looked at her just in that moment, and they shared one of their special looks.

The gravel under their shoes set the tempo for their footsteps and soon the shadows of four people searching the area started to drift apart as they spread out.

“Not too far” Ellie advised and they maintained a safe distance from each other.

They found nothing that could be considered a danger on the streets, but the stores could prove otherwise. 

“Shall we?” Abby asked and they started going towards the first store.

Whitney was giving a last look at her room. She had been careful to drop a few things here and there, because she took the task of finding that paper so seriously that she had put everything in order. Something that was highly unusual in her.

“Mother would be proud” she said with a giggle.

She nodded and closed the door, her hand holding tight to the strap of her backpack, where she had carefully put all of her vital things. Her PS Vita among them, as always.

“Whitney! Which team are you with?” she heard as soon as she set a foot out of the building.

“What?”

“Yo! Dan!”

The man that had asked her turned to talk with a guy and Whitney took the chance to quickly think about an answer. 

“ _Alright_ ” she thought, closing her fist and looking at the guy that was coming closer.

“You can come with us” he said, and noticed her backpack.

“Going somewhere?”

“Nah, I just found a few things I need to deal with. Let me put them away, I’ll be right back”

The guy nodded and waited for her. She tried to infuse herself some courage as she put her backpack in one of the lockers. 

“ _Be smart Whitney, you can do this_ ”

As she was taking her seat on the backside of an open truck, she saw Nora surrounded by guys. Again.

“ _She must be having a really hard time_ ” she thought, biting her lip.

Right now there was nothing she could do, and as the truck started to move, she saw one of the guys pointing a gun at Nora.

“Wait...” a man said, extending his hand.

“What? If you don't wanna be part of this, get the hell out!” the man with the gun said menacing.

His wild eyes and the way he moved his mouth ended up making the other guy stay.

“So, Nora… give me that paper. I won't ask again”

“You’re gonna shoot me? Here?” Nora opened her arms to indicate that the place was full of witnesses.

“Oh… I bet there won't be too much fuss about it”

“That’s sad. I thought patients felt a kind of debt with their doctor” she looked at the bandage he had on his arm, where she had treated a nasty wound.

He seemed to hesitate for a second.

“I don’t know where Abby is, but you’re right. I wouldn't tell you if I did”

She was defying them, struggling to look fierce. A drop of sweat traveled down her face, and the paper Whitney had handed her felt like a stone in her pocket.

“Come with us” he said as he grabbed her by the shoulders and made her turn, pressing the gun on her back.

Nora shook her head and started walking, her backpack hidden in the bushes. They were heading towards the woods, and now there was no one around to stop them.

“No battery, huh?” Whitney looked at the guy that was talking to her.

“What?”

“I think this is the first time I don’t see you playing… Hell, this is actually the first time I see you in action!”

She couldn’t let him notice her worry. She gave him a nervous laugh, saying something funny and then started checking the gun she had.

This must be the longest time she had been without playing, and it really hadn't even crossed her mind. The idea of going away and starting a real adventure was too strong and had completely overtook any thought or hobby. 

And now all she could see was Nora being dragged to the woods at gunpoint. She was already making a plan to go back, and she would put it into action as soon as possible.

There were no creatures in the store. 

Abby found a couple of supplies and a note from the previous owner, with a message to find the combination of a safe that was supposed to be in the back.

Lev was having fun, and Abby went with him to see if they could find it.

Ellie was staring at a wall full of dusty boxes. She took one from the middle section with hopeful hands and sat on the dirty floor without thinking twice.

“What’s that?” Yara asked curiously when she got to her side.

Ellie beamed at her as she opened the box to reveal a brand new pair of Converse sneakers, just like the ones she had before, only these were green. She tried them on and gave a yell of victory.

Abby and Lev rushed to their side and saw her standing up, kneeling and walking slowly, grinning at her incredible finding. 

Lev chuckled and gave her a thumbs up, following Yara out of the store.

“They really suit you” Abby said, moving closer to her until they were almost face to face.

“A green that matches your eyes” she gave her a kiss and moved on as if she had just patted her on the shoulder.

Ellie touched her lips and looked at her waiting on the door. She walked feeling refreshed by her new footwear.

“Let’s hope it doesn’t rain” she said, putting her old water-proof (and not so cool) shoes away.

As soon as they exited the place, a droplet made her moan.

Lev and Yara were already going to the next store, ready for any surprise. 

Abby was walking slowly a little ahead and Ellie looked at her out of the corner of her eye, thinking how much she wanted to return her last show of affection.

“Lev, what do you see?” she heard her asking and saw Lev’s head appearing on the roof.

“How did you get up there?” Ellie asked, amazed.

“Climbing” he said with a smile.

Yara looked at her with a “See what I meant?” face. Ellie chuckled and they searched the store, which had nothing useful or interesting inside.

“Abby…” Ellie started to say and suddenly didn't know how to continue.

“Yes?” her voice was so soft that it made it even more difficult to focus.

“Back in the Aquarium…”

Yara and Lev came back running and almost crashed into them.

“Demons!” 

Their talk would have to wait. Again. Right now they needed to deal with that obstacle, and she instinctively grabbed Yara and put herself in front of her.

Yara felt a warm protection coming from Ellie, and her hand found the handle of the switchblade she still had on her belt. She will do her best to protect them too.


	44. “I'm not like them, but I can pretend"

“No. Ted, I won’t let this happen” the guy that had intervened before put himself between the man with the gun and Nora.

“Oh c’mon! Steve… How stupid d’you think I am?”

The man named Ted put the gun down and rubbed his neck.

“Of course I’m not gonna shoot Nora, shit, I’m even offended”

“Well, you certainly played the part well” Steve said, not truly convinced.

Ted sighed and looked serious. Nora was relieved, but she was now questioning a lot of things.

“We need to find her. Nora, this place is gonna be mayhem soon… we really need to finish this”

Nora just looked at him and didn’t say a word.

“I know, I know… you’ll never give her up. And I really can’t force you. I just thought… maybe…”

He was apologizing when Nora interrupted.

“I really don’t know where she is”

“Well, in that case you can just show us that paper”

“It has nothing to do with her”

“Nora…” Steve looked at her as if pleading and she sighed.

“Alright” she took out the yellow paper and gave it to Ted.

“2425 Constance. What’s this then? Looks like a hideout”

“I told you… It’s something I... found in the hospital” she answered thinking that it wasn't entirely a lie.

They looked from her to the paper with suspicion, she didn't sound too convincing when she said that last part.

Whitney was feeling so helpless she wanted to cry, and was strictly avoiding looking at Evan in the eyes.

“Alice always gets the better sit” he said as if annoyed, but ended up smiling.

“Uh?” Whitney looked curious at the passenger seat. 

A big dog was looking out the window, sitting comfortably next to the guy that had asked her to come. The driver seemed to be used to this.

“Right” she smiled at the wet tongue that was hanging from the big and open mouth.

“So, are you ready for this?” 

“Yeah, sure” she said, having no idea of what “ _this_ ” was.

“I bet I’m gonna be the one finding her” he said earnestly.

“You do?” now she knew what _this_ was about.

“Yeah, we have some help this time” he said pointing his thumb to the happy dog.

“You think she can do that?”

“We gotta try” he said, shrugging.

The jeep stopped and the sound of people landing on the ground and doors closing was soon interrupted by yells.

“Alright, in pairs. I’m taking Alice”

“And remember, no prisoners”

Whitney felt a shiver running down her spine, but she was ready to play her part. This was just another mission.

“Anyone got some ammo?” she asked, holding up her gun.

“Sure, here” 

“ _Yes, I’m ready_ ”, she thought as she reloaded her gun and prepared for what lay ahead.

They started to search the area. Alice sniffed the T-shirt the guy was holding and she immediately started to walk around, looking for the scent. 

“Whitney, let’s go” Evan said as he started to search the area.

She followed him with her eyes extremely open, thinking that if she gets to find something, she would hide it. Or destroy it.

“Let’s find that treacherous bitch!”

“Yeah!” she said with her fist up, faking excitement at something she would never, ever, do.

Abby was looking ahead, smoke still coming out of her gun.

“I guess that was it” she said looking around.

“Yeah, just two” Ellie said and Yara and Lev looked shy.

“Sorry, we thought there could be more” Lev said, returning his bow to its usual position.

“Oh, two is just fine! We don’t want more of those fuckers, right?” Ellie said with a wink and they started moving again.

She looked at Abby, thinking that their conversation was still pending.

“Ellie” Abby said suddenly.

“Yeah?”

“I need to tell you something” Abby was biting her lip, and Ellie’s mind started playing games with her.

“Sure” she immediately imagined a lot of scenarios.

“It’s about the fireflies”

“Oh, funny you mentioned them…”

Ellie’s words were interrupted, one more time. 

“Ellie! Abby! Come look at this!” Lev was running towards them with such excitement that everything else was put on hold.

Yara was waiting at the side of a big military truck. It had been abandoned, but didn't seem as old as the others.

“Oh, you guys… this could be it!” Abby said and looked at Ellie with excitement.

“Let’s see” Ellie said and they walked around it.

The tank still had some gas on it, and they filled a couple of fuel containers. Everything seemed to be going good. Rain came and went, Yara’s arm was healing properly, and Lev… Lev looked like he was discovering a whole new world. 

He had spotted a store he wanted to visit and was fidgeting. Yara scolded him, but he was just too eager, and constantly looked at Abby and Ellie, trying to find the right moment to ask.

“What is it?” Ellie asked him in a chuckle when she noticed him so restless.

“There’s a store he wants to visit” Yara answered with a chuckle.

“Yara!” he said trying to sound offended, but they shared a laugh either way.

“Which store?” Abby said leaving the fuel containers on the ground, ready to be transported.

Lev turned and pointed at a music store that was on the corner.

“Sure! That could be fun!” Ellie smiled at the idea of finding something for the road back.

“Looks empty, but don't you dare lower your guard. We need to be careful”

They all nodded at Abby’s words and took a different stance. All of them were now searching for any danger and constantly checking on each other, feeling more and more like a solid team of survivors.

Nora was looking around, but didn't feel the need of leaving just yet. She was deep in thought, while the other guys argued about the dilemma they were facing. They looked flustered and she saw them shooting quick glances at her, the shame clearly visible on their faces.

Maybe she should have played the “ _Abby could be there_ ” card… but no, that would have looked plainly suspicious.

Ted, Steve and the others were exchanging viewpoints. Could they believe her? Was it just an old paper from who knows when? Or was Abby really hiding there? Whatever the answer, they knew they couldn't just ignore the information they were now literally holding in their hands.

Nora suddenly saw an opportunity. Abby wanted to check that place, a possible lead on the Fireflies. Wouldn’t it be nice if she did that now? All in all, these guys were motivated enough and could be the perfect escort. 

It was a long way, probably would take them a week or more, and she thought about leaving a note for Whitney, but immediately dismissed that idea. 

Whitney would know… as soon as she tried to find her, she’ll know. It was just a matter of time. Besides, they shouldn't look too close. These guys were serious, but not really dangerous. 

And they weren't the only group seeking to reach glory, and leadership, by catching Abby. 

The idea of so many soldiers going after her and her friends made her consider things. Would she be able to find Abby before them? She would probably end up being followed... 

On the other hand, if she were to go to this other place, maybe she could find out what this address was all about. Worst it could happen, they would find it empty. New places were never a sure thing.

“ _Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity_ ” she thought, remembering what her father always used to say. Her smile was hidden from view, and she was now ready to play her role in this new future they had.

“Alright, it’s decided” Ted said and the others nodded.

“You’re going?” Nora asked, already knowing the answer from the look on their faces.

“Yeah” he said, trying to find the words they had agreed to say next.

“Good, I think I’m coming with you”

The look of surprise on their faces was priceless and Nora couldn't help but smile at her genius plan.

  
  


“Anything?” Whitney heard from behind and no one had a positive answer.

They had been searching the area with the idea that Abby must have come that way. Alice didn't find a trail to follow, so they moved to another spot and repeated the same procedure.

A couple of hours later, Whitney was exhausted. She admired the diligence they were showing when looking for any sign of the traitor, and she was putting the same effort on her own task.

“Infected!” someone yelled and soon they saw a group of clickers and runners coming at them.

They were quickly separated and she hid behind a car. Two runners were heading towards Evan and he didn't have a clue. 

Whitney grabbed a brick and threw it at the one that was near him. It bounced and hit the other runner, giving Neil time to react and kill them.

“Yes! _Two birds with one stone_!” she said celebrating the mental trophy she had earned, but soon had to run as more infected were coming her way.

She quickly climbed on a tree with so many knots on its trunk that it was like climbing the stairs, and couldn't help but think how much fun that would have been in other circumstances. 

She started shooting from above and soon a bottle crossed the sky, leaving a smoke trail behind. It fell right at the feet of the creatures and Whitney covered her nose from the dark and smelly smoke that was coming from the burnt skin and fungus.

“We’re done here! Let’s go!”

“Hey Whit, thanks! Great job” she felt a pat on the shoulder and smiled.

“What now?” she asked looking around.

“Now we go back and prepare to do the same tomorrow, this time a little further. We’ll get to her, eventually”

Whitney considered this information. She would need to find a way to start her journey without leaving any trail or scent. That started to sound like a very special kind of challenge.

“All of these resources, d’you think the search is worth it?”

“I said the same thing and they looked at me as if I was crazy… so yeah, I don’t think they'll stop anytime soon” Evan whispered.

"Yara!" Lev was showing her a small flute.

"Oh…” she took it from his hands and examined it with curious eyes.

“Look at this" she said, giving him a small box that contained a beautiful and brand new harmonica.

Ellie was smiling at the warm sight and saw Abby coming closer to her. She gave a step back, suddenly feeling very shy. 

And Abby gave another step forward, getting closer. This time, Ellie’s step back was interrupted by an obstacle. A desk. 

“ _She wouldn't dare… would she?_ ” Ellie thought and saw her girlfriend staring at her without blinking. She saw her extending her hand and going past her, to take something from behind. 

They were so close that she could see the beautiful freckles that embellished her face here and there, and then she saw her smirk.

“What? You didn't move” Abby said and Ellie laughed and rested a hand on her waist.

“You’re impossible” she said in a low voice and Abby showed her the guitar she had taken from behind the desk.

“I see, there’s a couple of strings missing” Ellie said, feeling a jolt of happiness at Abby’s idea.

“Strings?” Lev looked interested and started to get closer to them, now that the romantic moment had passed.

He looked from one to the other and smiled at the blush on their faces. Yara came closer too, and soon they were all looking for what that fascinating instrument needed.

“Alright, let’s go grab some supplies. We’ll meet right at the south post in an hour, tops. Got it?” Ted said to the others and looked at Nora.

“Fine by me” she said and started going back, the six men already scattered.

She discreetly looked around for Whitney, but didn’t see her anywhere, so she went inside the building and immediately sensed that someone was following her. 

She walked towards the kitchen and asked for something to eat.

Sitting in the steps of the building she bit the sandwich, the strong flavour of the meat and the assorted vegetables were like a shot of life. She looked at the bun, saw the juice running down her hand, and took another bite with her eyes fixed on the tall trees.

“ _You better stay safe_ ” she said thinking about Abby and the others.

One of the guys from Ted’s group was talking to the leader of the West division, the big guy from before. Ted looked nervous and Nora saw the big guy smiling. 

“ _What’s all that about?_ ” she put the rest of the bread in her mouth and stood up, ignoring the man that was clearly tailing her.

Everywhere she looked she found nervous, tired or angry faces. Those seemed to be the three reigning sentiments in this W.L.F. post. The loss of their leader and the lack of an established chain of command was taking its toll on this former solid faction, leaving these trained soldiers as an orphan pack of ravening wolves.

“ _This could get really bad, really fast_ ” she looked ahead and tried to spot her hidden backpack. The only sign that it was there, was the plastic bag she had pinned to the ground.

“ _Perfect. Abby, we’ll see if they’re still there or not, and then… then we can start again, free_ ”.

Abby was half-looking for strings and half-watching for any danger. She noticed that Ellie was doing the exact same thing, as she saw her constantly casting quick and hidden glances towards the door and windows. 

Years of surviving left marks, and not only physical ones.

Their whole attitude towards the world and what could be considered daily chores was determined by a life filled with adventures, luck, escapes, and above all, death. They had lost very close and dear people. 

Abby saw Ellie smiling at the kids and then frowning at the windows, she was a very complex, yet transparent person. And that was one of her favourite things. Ellie was like a constant challenge, and an endless source of love and peace at the same time.

“Is this it?” Yara asked and Ellie shook her head at the bass strings she was showing her.

“Pretty close, though”

“This one then!” Lev said victorious, with a sealed package of steel strings.

“Perfect!” Ellie said, taking them from his hand.

He beamed at Yara and they saw Ellie sitting on a low chair she cleaned first.

“Abby, are you coming?” Yara asked and patted an empty spot next to her.

“Sure, be right there” Abby said as she put a little stick on the door to act as a sort of safety lock. 

With a last look around, she walked towards them, kissed Ellie on the forehead as she passed by and sat next to Yara. Lev didn't take his eyes off Ellie’s hands as she started to replace the old strings with the new ones.

Soon a round of Q & A filled the air, Ellie answering with gusto to every question Lev’s mind could think of. Yara wasn't staying behind, asking the things Lev didn't.

The first sound left a strange feeling in the air. As if it was a pulse of a collective heart.

“Wanna try what you learned the other day?” Ellie asked Abby once she finished the tuning and motioned to offer her the instrument.

“Oh, no… wouldn’t want that to be the first they heard from a guitar” she said refusing and making Ellie chuckle.

“Alright then, let's see...”

Ellie was playing some random chords when she stopped with a smile. She had the perfect song for this moment, and as she started to play it, the others looked amazed.

“ _I'm not like them, but I can pretend_

_The sun is gone, but I have a light_

_The day is done, but I'm having fun_

_I think I'm dumb, or maybe just happy_

_Think I'm just happy_

_Think I'm just happy_

_Think I'm just happy_ ”

She looked at her audience and felt her heart beating hard on her chest. They were all smiling and now a special aura surrounded them. Not even an infected could turn off the light that had lit in that moment. And for now, they were happy, perfectly happy.

Nora followed Steve and met Ted on the way. The guy that had been tailing her looked at them and used a radio to say something, then he left with a frown.

Whitney jumped down from the truck and Alice ran past her. She looked around and saw Nora calmly going with the guys that had threatened her before.

“ _What on earth…?_ ” she thought, feeling relieved, but now extremely curious. 

“ _Nora, what are you doing… what can I do?_ ”

And then it hit her. When she saw her taking the South path, she knew. Nora was going to check on the address. And she looked safe, even kind of happy.

“Well, in that case, I guess I’ll be heading East then...”

She closed her eyes and visualized the paper Ellie had scribbled. She had insisted on burning it, sure that she could remember the directions. Nora wasn't too convinced, but then agreed when they talked about the consequences of someone else finding that map.

It had taken them a good hour to memorize the whole path, but now both of them knew how to get to Jackson. And Whitney was sure that they would be together soon enough.


	45. “Yes, this is just perfect”

When Ellie stopped playing, the sudden absence of sound and voices was like the introduction to a new activity.

They gathered the things they found useful, and others that were not useful at all, like the guitar Lev wouldn’t leave behind.

“We have space in the car” he said when Abby told him that this was not the last guitar in the world.

“What about this? We’ll take it with us till we can’t carry it anymore” Ellie proposed and he nodded.

Abby agreed and Ellie surprised her with a quick kiss on the cheek. 

“We need to find a place to spend the night” Yara said looking at the houses around, none of which seemed to offer an appropriate shelter. 

The sun had shone for half a day and now the sky was covered in clouds again. Ellie kept looking up, deciding that she would not change her new snickers even if it rained.

They took the fuel containers and headed towards the car. Yara was the first to get there and she jumped into the backseat, thinking that this way she could avoid feeling tempted to do the things she shouldn’t be doing.

“Yara!” Ellie called and she saw her signaling.

She exited the car, careful to avoid any brisk movement, and saw her ready to throw something.

“Alright, do it!” she said, challenging.

Ellie smirked and threw her the three little plastic balls she had in her hand.

Yara was surprised and grabbed two, watching the other bounce away.

“Nice reflexes!” Ellie said retrieving the lost ball.

“I appreciate this kind of practice, I can feel my muscles reacting, thank you”

“Glad to know you’re feeling better”

“What do I do with these?” Yara asked looking at the plastic spheres in her hand.

“Well… we could just leave them here”

“Wait” Abby said, asking for them.

“What?” Ellie asked, thinking for a second that she wanted to play or something, and the idea made her chuckle.

“We could use these… look” Abby showed her the middle section, where a small hole could be seen.

“Oh… I see what you mean” Ellie smiled at Abby’s keen mind.

They would be perfect for smoke bombs.

“You thought I wanted to play or something”

“How do you do that?” Ellie asked astounded.

“Do what?” Abby said raising an eyebrow.

“Read my mind”

Abby saw her eyes going from shock to admiration, and then to something that was starting to look too tempting to refuse.

“Maybe because I know you well now…”

“Oh, really?” Ellie said with a defiant, yet touched, look.

“Yes, besides… you can’t hide what you’re thinking! Would be nice to play poker someday” 

Abby laughed and Ellie walked away trying to look offended, but her face, as always, said otherwise.

Nora was looking out the window of a car that was traveling fast down the road. She was in the passenger seat, thinking about too many things at the same time.

Abby, Ellie, the Scar kids, Whitney, Isaac, the infected that had been merged into an impossible mechanism… And now, the possibility of finding Fireflies. 

Fireflies! The idea was too good to be true, so she kept popping the bubble of hope every time she felt like taking her imaginations too far.

“Looks like we won’t be making it today, we’ll need to find a place to spend the night” the driver said looking up and around.

They passed a few houses, a few wrecked buildings now and then, but nothing that could be considered a shelter.

A mug with hot tea reached Nora’s hands and she appreciated the warm cup between her cold fingers. She said thanks and sipped it, feeling the heat spreading through her body.

Raindrops started falling on the windshield and she found herself unable to look away, lost in her thoughts again.

Whitney was ready. She had decided to go away during the night, when most of the soldiers were sleeping.

She had spent a lot of time designing her plan, and was confident that nothing could go wrong. She even considered variants such as weather, infected, hunger and of course, exhaustion. 

Although she wasn’t in a bad shape, she wouldn’t be so naive as to think that she could travel a long way without resting. According to her calculations, she would need to rest in about three or four hours. That depending on the obstacles on the way.

Suddenly she felt really anxious, as if time wasn’t passing at all. And that was a factor she hadn’t considered, how time seems to go by slow when you need it to go faster than ever.

Hours later, she found herself looking at a road sign. The dilemma she was facing now had made her walk around in circles for about twenty minutes.

“If I go this way, I would definitely find Abby and the others… but if I take this other road…”

There was something bothering her. Nora looked safe, she was with trained and armed soldiers, but still, something wasn’t right. She couldn’t understand why, or how, but her feet started to follow the path that led to the South. To Nora.

“I might as well check on her, and then we can take the longer road together”

She decided and started walking, glad that she hadn’t been an important member of the community she was now leaving. She didn't make enemies nor friends, and no one would go _that far_ just to get someone like her.

Still, she decided to go the extra mile and cover her tracks, remembering the little details she learned to identify in the last patrol she had been.

“Lucky I paid attention” she said as she wiped the sweat off her face.

Ellie was driving again, taking them further and further into what looked like a deserted land. They found the perfect shelter in an old bed and breakfast. 

Its second floor had been cleverly built among two big trees that served as pillars.

“I bet this brings back some memories for them” Ellie said to Abby as they looked at the place. 

Scars usually built their houses in harmony with the environment, and this had a similar distribution to the ones they saw on Haven.

Lev and Yara looked at each other and smiled. They waited for the others to get to the door and together they searched the place.

The restaurant was on the first floor, totally destroyed. Dust, rain and time had left a clear mark everywhere they looked. They were happy to find out that the rooms and other house facilities were intact on the second floor.

After securing every entrance and gathering their things, they decided to stay all together in the big waiting room that was right on top of the stairs.

Ellie was cleaning Yara’s wound. Lev was making something to eat and Abby was preparing the beds.

“We were lucky to find clean blankets, just a little moth here and there, but otherwise perfect” she said with a smile as she dusted them a little apart from the others.

After a couple of minutes, the room was filled with a nice smell coming from whatever Lev had put together.

Yara took a portion and sat comfortably on the ground, watching at Lev’s triumphant display.

Ellie and Abby were surprised when they saw an assortment of berries, some of that Scar food Yara had, what seemed to be rabbit jerky, and…

“Vegetables? How?”

“It’s a secret” he said looking a little superior.

“Lev, don’t look so smug” Yara said with a chuckle.

“Alright! They’re from The Gift” he said defeated and sitting to eat with the others, a smile soon fixed on his lips when he saw them enjoying it so much.

“We should all be looking for a videogame store now” Ellie said savoring the different flavors that Lev had so cleverly chosen.

They finished so soon that Lev thought he hadn’t put enough effort, but when he stood up to see if there was anything left to use, he noticed his stomach so full that it was impossible to think of eating now.

“You alright?” Abby asked him.

“Yeah, I guess I ate too much” he said sitting again.

“It was an amazing dinner, the best I’ve had in ages!” Abby said rubbing her belly.

“Hey!” Ellie tried to push her and Abby moved just in time to avoid her.

She fell on her lap, her left hand on Abby’s boob.

“Oh Ellie, not now…” she said and Ellie blushed and then joined the collective laugh.

“Yara… could you give me some water?” Ellie asked sitting straight and shooting a playful look at Abby.

“I can do it” Lev offered, but Yara stopped him.

“I got this” she said and turned to face the water bottle.

She grabbed it and used her other hand to open the cap. She smiled when she succeeded and then poured some of the precious liquid into Ellie’s glass.

Once she finished, she repeated the same procedure to close it and sat looking satisfied.

“Thank you” Ellie said and drank some water.

“You’re welcome” Yara said and it was her time to give Lev a smug look.

“Oh, I see! Neat” he said with a side glance to her.

Yara was thinking what to say when Ellie stood up very slowly and took something from a coffee table. 

She had been staring at it, trying to ponder the possibilities of being what she thought it could be.

When she raised her fist in victory, the others looked at each other, shrugging.

“I think this night is about to turn a little more fun” Ellie said turning and showing the thing she had picked up from the table.

Nora was taking some notes as they went further South. They had found a couple of stores, but nothing important enough to mention. 

The only big note she had made was of a gas station that still had tanks with gasoline. From what she heard saying the guys, it had been a pending patrol for a while, but Isaac had never given the green light to go check it.

“If only he knew…” Steve said looking back.

“He would have used it for the boats, this would have only accelerated the attack. I know it, he had a similar idea way before what happened with those kids”

“Wait a minute, how do you know that?”

“I was his right hand for a while” Ted said plainly.

“Get outta here, I never saw you two exchanging more than five words”

“How long have you been here?” Ted suddenly looked very serious.

“Four years”

“Not enough time to talk so sure about Isaac then. Our paths crossed more than a decade ago…”

They looked at each other for a moment and changed the subject when a bark sounded so loud that Nora flinched.

“I forgot, why did we bring a dog?” she asked Ted.

“Well, you never know, right?” he answered.

She wrote a few lines and then put her notepad away, looking at a flock of seagulls flying fast to avoid the rain that was starting to get a little heavier.

“ _Where are you know? Are you safe?_ ” she thought about her friend and suddenly pictured Yara, hoping that her arm was healing without any trouble.

“Oh man, I wish I had a car… this road is endless” Whitney said looking at her compass. 

She had been walking tirelessly for hours and her mouth was dry. Her feet were hurting and her whole body seemed to be going on a strike.

“Come on! Just one more hour!” she looked at her watch and nodded, taking a new impulse to go on.

The rain was refreshing, but it also meant that she would need to find shelter now. So far she had avoided a couple of houses with creatures inside, and was walking with her eyes extremely open, knowing that the streets and alleys might hide some very unpleasant surprises for the ones that were unaware.

But she was very aware. To the point of having fun.

Two hours later she was finding it hard to find the fun in the gloomy perspective she saw ahead. 

“At least the rain will cover my tracks” she said feeling positive after all.

“Alright, that house must be it. For now, at least” she said walking to the only house that had the roof intact.

It was empty, and Whitney couldn’t believe her luck when she found a couple of cans in the kitchen.

“Great, not my favorite, but still food” she managed to start a little fire right outside the kitchen, where there was a spot that seemed perfect for that.

It was a nice and warm dinner, and she felt good with herself. 

“Now, let’s see how my Jacket is doing” she said stretching her legs and turning on her game.

“Yes, this is just perfect…” she said smiling at the little screen that was now lighting up her face.

“Cards!” Ellie yelled as she showed them what she was treating like a small treasure.

“Nice!” Abby exclaimed, making some room between them.

“What are cards?” Yara asked looking at the plastic little things Ellie had handed her.

“We use them for playing. It’ll be better if I just show you”

She shuffled them and the kids looked at her as if she had suddenly started to do magic. Abby smiled as she sat with her back on the couch, her eyes following Ellie’s every move.

Ellie explained what she thought was the easiest game, and even played a couple of rounds with Abby, but the kids didn’t seem to grab the idea.

“Let me try” Abby said taking the cards and shuffling them in a different way, this time Ellie was left looking in awe.

“Awesome” she said to her.

“Alright, look closely” Abby said to the kids and then looked at Ellie.

“Are you challenging me?”

“Oh, I don’t know, see if you can beat this”

“Alright, I’ll try” she said with a smirk.

The game was indeed very easy, and Lev and Yara already felt like winners. Ellie hadn’t won once yet.

“Are you consciously losing?” Abby asked her.

“Don’t be mean, I just haven’t been lucky” she said with a pout.

“But I do have a nice idea now, if you don’t mind playing at something else” Ellie said with a smile that looked a little suspicious.

“Sure, just don’t be a bad loser” Abby said giving her the cards.

“Hey! It’s not that! You’ll see”

She shuffled as if trying to surpass Abby, who was covering her mouth to hide her smile.

“Alright, this is gonna be fun. Yara, make sure you use your good hand” she winked at her as she dealt the cards.

They stopped playing after an hour that felt like five minutes. 

“That was really fun!” Lev said trying to hide a yawn.

“Yeah, Ellie, it was a good game” Yara said with a smile, but battling to keep her eyelids open, since they suddenly felt like lead.

“Thanks, glad to make you happy. I think we should get some sleep now, we’ll be traveling again tomorrow”

The kids said good-night and fell asleep so soon that it was almost as if they were faking it.

Ellie walked towards the bay window and looked at the road. It was really pouring outside, making it look even more deserted than it was.

She felt Abby’s hands circling her waist and then her mouth speaking very gently on her ear.

She giggled and they stayed hugged, looking at the road they would be taking tomorrow morning.

Ellie put her hands on top of Abby’s and slowly turned. They kissed under the moonlight, feeling that this combination of safety and love was something they both needed, and it was surely something they would protect with their lives.

“Ellie, about the Fireflies”

“Yes?” Ellie said with a pang of excitement.

“Whitney told me she has an address…” Abby looked at Ellie considering her words, and they stared at each other for a while.

“So it was true. I saw a couple of notes in the Aquarium, seemed like they could still be around, but having an address changes things”

“Yeah, it does”

“Should we wait for her then?”

Abby looked out of the window and shook her head.

“I prefer to put as much distance as we can between the Wolves and them” she said looking at Yara and Lev.

“Yeah, that would be wise. Besides, she and Nora can find Jackson anyway”

“She told me she would come as soon as she finds it, but I guess it won't be too easy for Nora”

“Why?” Ellie frowned.

“Alright, listen but don’t freak out” Abby said and stopped Ellie from talking.

“I’ve been thinking about this. What if the soldiers that were fighting on the island recognized me? We weren’t too subtle and we did kill Scars and Wolves alike… I don’t know how much they know, but it takes only one of them to start the fire”

“The fire… D’you think they could come after you?” Ellie said, feeling that her happiness had been violently taken away.

“It is possible. So yeah, Nora being my friend… I guess if they knew, they would try to get my location through her”

“But she wouldn’t say, would she?”

“She wouldn’t. I don’t know about Whitney, but I don’t think so either”

“Well, in that case, we better continue first thing in the morning”

“Sounds right. But please, don’t let this get to you, it’s only a theory”

“And a very good one. I’m gonna be fine, I’m used to being chased, I just wouldn’t want them to be in danger again”

They looked at the sleeping kids. Abby took Ellie’s hand and invited her to sit, she sat behind her and then they were looking at the rain falling. Ellie rested in Abby, who was now hugging her.

“We’ll be fine. You know, we could be invincible”

Ellie chuckled and Abby was hugging her so tight that she felt her shoulders moving on her chest.

“We should play some poker next time we find a shelter” Ellie said, turning her head.

“That’s a promise” Abby said, sealing the deal with a kiss.

They went to sleep thinking about all of the possible roads they could face, but at the same time feeling that they could really overcome any obstacles coming their way.


	46. “Nice picture, right?”

Lev woke up with a start. He was having a very bad dream involving too many legs and arms to count and noticed that his t-shirt was almost stuck to his back.

He looked at Yara and she turned in her sleep, completely unaware that he was in such an altered state.

His breathing slowly returned to normal and he looked around, finding Ellie sitting across the room with her eyes fixed on him. She brought her index finger to her lips and he nodded.

Standing up really slow in order to avoid making noise, he tiptoed to her side and saw Abby curled up on the floor, comfortably sleeping with her head resting on Ellie’s lap. 

She invited him to sit on the other side.

“Bad dream?” she asked when he was settled and noticed the wet spots on his shirt.

“Yeah, I’m a bit surprised Yara didn’t wake up”

“She’s taking meds, maybe that’s why”

“Oh, right. How’s her arm?”

“A lot better, she’ll be as good as new in no time”

Lev smiled and put his arms around him. Ellie grabbed her blanket, extending half of it around his shoulders, gently rubbing his back to infuse some heat, and comfort. He immediately felt warm and cozy.

“What about you? Can’t sleep?” he asked, relishing the company.

“I will. One of us should be on watch. Lev, that’s important. Never let your guard down when on patrol or when you have to stay somewhere you don’t know”

He nodded and gulped at how serious she looked all of the sudden.

“If you find yourselves alone and in need of sleep, one of you **_must_ ** stay awake” she insisted.

“I got it. Demons”

“Not only that” Ellie looked at him with Abby’s words circling in her mind.

“You’re strong and I know you’ll be fine, just be smart about it” she added with a wink and he beamed at her.

“Ellie, can you tell me about Jackson again?”

She smiled and started describing the place one more time, happy to see that he was genuinely interested.

A few hours later, Abby woke up and found them deeply asleep, cuddling.

“ _Nice picture, right?_ ” Yara said in a whisper from the other side.

Abby smiled and started going her way avoiding obstacles and moving as slow as possible.

“Good morning” Yara said in a shaky voice, suppressing a laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Abby asked when she sat with her.

“Oh sorry, it’s just that you… looked really different just now” she giggled and Abby nudged her and smiled.

They ate something fast and quietly shared some ideas for the journey. Yara asked a lot of questions about Jackson and Abby did her best to answer, having been there for so little, and under very different circumstances. 

Their talk was interrupted by a very loud thunder that didn’t wake the other two.

“Good thing we have the car, let’s hope we have a good road too. I bet someone’s not gonna be happy about this rain”

Yara chuckled and looked at Ellie’s “rain” shoes, safely tied up to her backpack.

“You travel with a lot of things” she started counting the weapons.

“Well, everything you see saved our lives at some point”

Yara wanted to hear all those stories. Abby said she would share only one with the promise of telling the rest on the way, and chuckled when she saw the expectant look on the young girl that was sitting at her side.

As she was reliving a particularly nasty memory, she swore to herself that she would do anything to protect them. Anything.

“What are you thinking?” Yara took her out her musings.

“That I’ll do anything to protect you” she said without thinking twice.

“Why?” Yara already knew the answer, but she wanted to hear it, just one more time.

“Because you’re my people now” Abby said looking at her.

“And because you’re a good person” Yara said, giving her a surprise hug and Abby smiled when she felt both of her arms around her.

“How can you be so happy? For fuck’s sake!” one of the guys said looking at Nora’s huge grin, and then found himself smiling in disbelief.

“Well, we’re certainly doing something new, right?”

“Yeah, but seriously, that was fucked up”

“It’s in the past now. Let it go, we need to move and stop looking back”

“Damn it… alright, maybe I can caught some of that positivity”

The car had broken down a while back and they wasted two whole days and half of another one trying to fix it, each of them thinking that they had found the solution. Only when Nora insisted on leaving it behind they gave up and continued the road on foot.

She was feeling like a true leader now, and they let her, as anyone would with someone with such a strong determination and voice of command as Nora.

“Everyone alright?” she asked looking back and getting a positive answer.

The dog was at her side, happy to be receiving her love and looking for her hand when she stopped petting his head. She felt the wet nose on her fingers and chuckled.

“C’mon Bear, stop it now. Let’s go” she smiled at him and saw him run with its tail showing excitement.

The road looked endless and Whitney was losing faith. 

“One more hour, one more hour” she repeated with every step, following the path that would surely take her to Nora.

It had been a long time since she had started her journey, but she decided to cover as much distance as possible, trying to get sooner than later to what could be one of the greatest findings of her life.

“Fireflies… uh? _From Wolf to Firefly: A journey of courage, by Whitney_ ” she extended her hands in the air as if seeing the letters appearing on an imaginary screen and snorted.

She saw a small group of infected ahead and her smile faded in a second.

“Shit. Alright, time to get serious”

She had been lucky things were so hectic at the base right now, and glad she had been clever enough to grab one of the sub machine guns with some extra ammo before leaving.

Avoiding any unnecessary noise, she got closer and saw that there was a way to walk by unnoticed. It would take longer, but anything was better than dealing with those things.

Slowly, carefully and with her heart about to explode she walked hiding behind cars, boxes and anything that could provide some cover, until she reached an alley that looked deserted.

A clicker appeared from behind a house and she stood still, holding her breath. The creature made a horrible sound and then moved away, scratching the air every now and then.

Whitney stayed like a statue. The clicker stopped, turned and sniffed. 

“ _Holy shit, holy shit_ ” she thought, without moving an inch.

The creature turned again and went around the house.

Whitney breathed a silent sigh of relief and very quietly left her hideout. One look at her surroundings revealed that there was no other way than to go past the house where the creature had gone.

She slowly turned to retrace her steps and saw a runner walking erratically towards her spot. She lay flat on the ground, hoping that she had moved on time.

Clearly she had, because the creature turned and walked away, just like the clicker did before. She saw the latter making its appearance once again, forcing her to wait until it went behind the house.

She was about to move forward when the runner came into view. 

“Alright, I see… it’s gotta be one or the other” she thought and started considering her options.

Between a clicker and a runner, it was pretty clear. She took her knife and waited.

“Good morning!” Yara said to Lev when she saw him waking up.

Ellie looked at him too, now finally able to move the arm he had been using as a pillow.

“Oh, I’m sorry!” he said, a little troubled.

“It’s ok, thanks for a warm night”

They shared a smile and Abby gave them a couple of portions from the breakfast Yara had prepared.

“The car is ready, so we can hit the road when you finish that”

“Sure, can you drive this time?” Ellie said feeling tired and Abby nodded.

A little later she was in the backseat with Yara, deeply asleep.

“How can she sleep like that?” Lev asked amazed, since the car wasn’t exactly silent.

“The human body can do amazing things” Abby said with a quick look at her.

Yara wanted to arrange the blanket that was almost falling, a task that would be easier with both hands. She saw Abby and Lev talking and decided to untie the sling for a second.

Her arm felt a little numb, but not weak at all. She felt her fingers tingling a bit at the weight of the fabric, but she smiled.

Once finished, she put the sling back, happy to see that she could move it more easily now.

Abby noticed that soon they would reach the end of the road they had been following, and there was something that caught her attention and made her smile.

“I’m up!” Ellie said after a while, feeling fresh and rested.

“You woke up right on time” Abby said stopping the car.

Lev looked at Yara and they shrugged, clearly missing something.

“We could make a short detour here” she said pointing towards the road to the right.

“Why?” Ellie asked rubbing her eyes.

“Looks like we could find a video game store, but you know, nothing is certain”

“Yeah… maybe a quick look and if it’s not safe we turn around fast”

“No need to tell me that. What about you guys? What do you say?” she looked at the kids and they nodded in agreement, happy to be part of the decision.

“Alright, short detour it is”

The car was in motion again and soon they reached the first stores.

“The road is blocked” Lev said to Abby, who nodded and stopped.

“So? Should we go check? Or should we just leave?”

They looked at each other, each considering the pros and cons of such an endeavor.

Nora was really enjoying the road, even the rain seemed lighter and more refreshing. Her squad was looking better than ever, taking care of the infected when needed and making the trip a lot more fun by sharing jokes, stories and hopes.

She had come to care for these guys. They had seen each other before, shared a few meals, but nothing like this. Long gone was the quarrel with Ted and right now there were no doubts about her commitment.

Ted, Steve, Cam, Noah and Johnny. And Bear, of course. 

“Bear!” Nora called but he didn’t show up.

“What is it?” 

“Bear!”

A whistle later Bear showed up, covered in blood.

“Infected!”

They scattered and saw in horror more than a dozen creatures coming their way. 

“Let’s give ‘em hell!” Nora yelled and soon the sound of gunfire and explosions filled the air.

Whitney was crouching with her knife so tightly secured in her hand that the handle was starting to hurt her. She took a deep breath and listened carefully to the steps that were dragging closer by the second.

“ _Alright, you can do this… you can do this… it’s just one_ ”

The clicker turned before going around the house, just when she grabbed the runner and sliced its throat. The sound that came from the creature before dying made the clicker turn dramatically, letting out a shriek so loud that it made Whitney’s every hair stand on end.

“SHIT!”

It ran towards her and she experienced a fear she had never felt before when the same yell replicated on the other side of the road. 

She took her gun and shot at the creature. Without wasting a second, she jumped on top of a car and then towards the wall. She made it to the roof just when half a dozen of them came running around the corner. 

She started shooting them in the head, trying to stay calm and not lose balance. One mistake could make her fall to her death. 

“One down… shit, reload” the clickers were now scratching the wall right below her feet. 

“Two, thr… no, yes, now three. Four… shit… shit!” her leg was starting to feel numb and she had to move it a bit. 

Sweat and rain poured down her face.

“C’mon!” she shot the rest ignoring the stabbing pain and finished sooner than she thought.

“Yeah! Holy shit! I did it!” 

She looked at the creatures motionless on the ground, and sat with her gun on her side, not wanting to go down just yet. Tears started to pour down her face and she let them.

A moment later she was walking again. After her short and frightening battle she decided to just go on, determined to find the only road she wanted to see.

She looked at her compass and continued, her body energized with the adrenaline of being so close to death and now so near to the goal she had set on her mind.

“One more tree… one more house… one more hour”

She walked, crouched, hid, killed some creatures, ran, fell and stood up. 

The rain made it difficult to discern if the sounds she was hearing came from the water falling on metal and other materials, or if it was something else.

She grabbed the edges of her raincoat and shook the water. Several droplets came down her neck and back, making her shiver.

Her legs were moving almost as an independent mechanism and she liked to think that she was a sort of living being inside of a very complex bio-machine. Legs that were commanded to move, heart that was automatically giving life to every limb. And a soul that reigned above the organic.

She wanted to see Nora. Or Abby, Ellie and the kids. The absence of interaction and the loneliness were starting to take a toll on her. But she wouldn’t let those feelings win, so she was constantly cheering herself, sure as hell that the future looked a lot brighter now.

“Alright, let’s give it all” she yelled with her fist in the air.

Nora and the guys were shooting left and right, the sudden horde was something they had considered, so they had the ammo to fight back.

She was loading her gun when a runner surprised her, pushing her down and trying to bite her in any possible way. 

“Get the fuck away! NO!” 

She got desperate when a clicker started coming her way, and then she saw how a big shadow jumped over her head.

“BEAR!”

The dog attacked the clicker, biting its legs and trying to take it away from her.

She finally got to kill the runner and quickly stood up, shooting the now loaded gun.

“Bear!” she called and the dog came to her side.

“That’s it! We did it!” someone said.

Yells of victory replaced the screams and gunfire. Nora checked Bear and was glad to see that he was just a little shaken, but otherwise intact.

“Thank you, sweet boy” she hugged him and gave him the biggest piece of jerky she had.

There was a feeling of unity around all of them. Something that usually happened after dealing with life-threatening situations, they tend to create special bonds between the ones involved.

It had taken Nora a lot of effort to make these guys consider her a leader. She had to be subtle, but firm, and now was happy to notice that she succeeded. She could feel the difference in their behavior towards her.

They traveled for days under very challenging conditions, so she was beaming when she saw the road signs ahead. They finally made it.

“Santa Barbara” she read out loud.

“Alright, let’s see what this is about”

It took them a couple of hours to find the address, and Nora immediately noticed the radio.

“D’you think this still works?” Steve said, taking the receiver and pressing the button.

“Hello?” he said as if playing with a toy.

Nora looked around listening very carefully, but no sound came from the other side. She found a notepad with some letters and numbers written on it.

“ _Frequencies?_ ” she said to herself, thinking of a way to distract the guys so she could try the radio alone.

A very loud noise was heard from outside and then Bear yelled in pain. They rushed to see what it was.

“Get back! It’s a trap!”

“What?” she dropped her headband almost unconsciously, following her habit of leaving leads behind when in danger. 

And then was in shock when she saw Bear lying motionless on the ground. The sound of gunfire and explosions filled the air around them one more time.

They didn’t have a chance to fight back and Nora saw helplessly how some guys killed the men that had been her only company so far.

Steve and Ted were fighting hand to hand with a couple of heavily armored guys.

Nora couldn’t shoot and before she could decide on anything else to do, her whole world went black.

“I got a girl” a man’s voice was heard and Steve turned to find Nora on the ground.

He didn’t see the punch that was coming his way and was knocked over.

Ted was quickly defeated too, and the two guys looked at each other.

“Not bad… not bad at all”

“We could’ve used these others too, but who knows? Maybe it would’ve been a bitch to take that fighting spirit away”

“Yeah, this way’s better”

They tied the three unconscious people and started walking without a second look to the dead bodies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy Holidays! 😁
> 
> What do you say about Abby, Ellie, Lev and Yara? Should they check that place? Or should they just leave?  
> #interactive  
> xD


	47. “Good things come to those who wait”

“So? We’re doing this, right?” Ellie asked, looking around and tapping her feet on the ground to warm them a bit. Her new shoes were already soaked.

“Yeah, let’s do it” 

“For Whitney”

Lev and Yara said and Abby nodded with a smile so cute that made her blush.

“Before that… Yara, how’s your arm?”

“It feels fine”

“You’ll have to be careful, you can't put pressure on it”

“I will”

“If you do…”

“I know”

“I trust you” Ellie said, checking the sling one last time and Yara nodded.

Abby and Lev smiled at this interaction as they prepared their gear.

“Alright, we’re looking for a video game store, nothing else matters. If we find creatures…”

“We kill the fuckers” Lev interrupted, making them laugh.

“Yeah, that’s one thing” Ellie said chuckling.

“We’ll stay together, right?” Abby said looking at Lev and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Right” he said with a nod.

“That means no getting ahead or climbing stuff” she added and he nodded again.

“Especially after what happened to me last time” Yara said pointing at her sling and he blushed.

“I promise I’ll be good”

“Lev, you’re perfect! We just need you to be careful” Abby said giving him a friendly pat and looking at the others.

The anticipation was patent on their faces. They were ready.

  
  


“Alright! now we’re talking!” Whitney said when she finally saw the road sign she had been yearning to see.

The palm trees became perfect markers and she was having fun counting and naming them in a way only she would remember.

She stopped in the middle of the street and hid behind an old car with a very bad feeling. She hadn't heard nor seen anything strange, but there was something bothering her.

“ _I could definitely climb this thing_ ” she thought, touching the knotty trunk of a tall tree.

Once up, she used the optical sight on her gun to look at the distance and found evidence of a fight. A couple of dead... Wolves! The impression almost made her fall.

She counted three bodies and the fact that Nora wasn't among them was both relieving and stressful.

“ _What if she’s hurt?_ ” her heart started to beat faster.

As she climbed down she knew she needed to find out more, but this was a very dangerous situation. 

“ _What if they’re watching?_ ” she immediately hid again.

Her anxious eyes started to check her surroundings and soon found a nice spot on the side of the road that would allow her to look at pretty much everything ahead, and with the perfect coverage at the same time.

“ _Good things come to those who wait_ ” she disappeared in a thick bush, convincing herself that Nora wasn’t slowly dying a few feet away.

After what felt like an eternity, she finally saw movement and stayed as still as possible. A couple of guys were approaching the spot she had been watching.

“Look at this mess!” one of them complained.

“Yeah, now let’s get this shit done”

“Alright, no need to be so talkative”

They started dragging the bodies to a house that had no roof and only one of its four walls was standing. They were so careless with the dead that she wanted to jump out or shout at them, but she just clenched her fists in anger.

One of them walked towards Bear and put him with the rest. Dark smoke started to rise from the wrecked house and Whitney had to cover her mouth to keep quiet.

Once they finished “cleaning up”, they stood in the middle of the road.

“Are we going back now?”

“Let’s wait for a while. Our shift doesn't start till later, but who knows? Maybe we’ll get lucky again”

“Ok, just a couple of hours though”

“Why don't we try those traps of yours over here?”

Whitney saw them setting up a few traps on the road and then going to a hideout. She was feeling a little trapped herself and considered moving to a different spot, but the risk was too high so she stayed there, hoping to overcome this new challenge.

Hours later she saw a man and a woman walking down the street. They were weak, tired and clearly looking for shelter. Or anything that could give them hope. 

The woman got caught in a trap and now was dangling from her foot, the man was desperately trying to help her. 

She was so shocked that didn't manage to warn him about the guys that were slowly walking towards them. One of them grabbed him and he immediately started begging for his wife, but was knocked out without much care.

"Not too good, but it'll do for now"

"Let's take them and call it a day. I don't think it'll get better than this" the man said next to the woman that was punching the air and cursing like mad.

He cut the rope and she started yelling and kicking at everything in front of her. Only a hard hit on the head stopped her. 

The man woke up with the racket. He saw his wife unconscious and launched at the guys, managing to throw one of them to the ground. They struggled for a second and then he fell motionless to the side. The guy he had pushed stood up with a knife on his hand, blood was dripping from the tip.

"What the fuck did you do?"

"Sorry, a reflex"

"Shit. Ok, never mind now, put it in the house”

They started walking away, the big guy with the unconscious woman and the other one with the dead man, who was unceremoniously thrown to the pile of carbonized corpses.

Whitney was recovering from all of this when she heard something that set all of her internal alarms again.

"We were lucky the other day, it was a very good group” 

“The girl is feisty as fuck, but we’ll tame her"

"Yeah, and the guys turned out to be really useful. One threat at the girl and those wolves turned into little bitches"

"Well, the ones that are still alive"

They shared a horrible laugh and Whitney didn't move an inch. She was shocked by what she saw and heard, but also was completely aware of what she had to do. 

Nora was still alive, captive, but alive. 

With a heart that felt like a stone she left her hideout and followed them as far as possible. She stopped to hide every now and then, until she saw them going into what looked like a resort.

“ _That’s gotta be it_ ”

Wishing she could be braver enough to gather more intel, she decided to leave that place now that she was still safe. She had seen enough and it was time to go ask for help. 

And she knew perfectly well where to find it. 

Lev was closely following the others, he was being careful and smart. Yara chuckled at his side and he looked at her.

“What?” he whispered.

“You look so serious”

He was about to push her, but had second thoughts and decided to just shake his head. 

“You’ve grown up” Yara said with a smile, reading his body language.

He didn't say anything back. The last time he heard something about being a grown up was when he had that fight with his mom. The fight that took her life.

His eyes were clouded with tears, but he managed to hold them back. This was not the time to let his guard down. _What would Ellie say?_ He snorted at this thought and looked at her.

She was leading the way, crouching every now and then and making them stop. Then continued with the same concentration. He saw her picking up a brick and smiling.

Abby was closing the group, double checking to see they weren’t being followed. She was focusing mostly on dark spots that could hide nasty surprises.

“They’re really good, right?” Yara said following his eyes and he nodded.

They encountered a couple of infected that weren’t a danger at all. Then Lev was tempted to climb on top of one of the biggest trucks he had seen so far, but stopped before giving the first step.

Abby saw this and smiled.

“Lev, could you?” she said nodding at the truck and he beamed.

Two seconds later he was on the top, looking at the stores ahead.

“So?”

“Gamestop” he said in a low voice, some of the letters had fallen, but the name was still clear.

“What?”

“Gamestop!” he repeated climbing down.

“That sounds promising”

“Saw anything else?”

“Nothing strange”

“Ok, follow me”

Ellie led the way one more time and felt uneasy. She looked at Abby at the back and they shared one of their looks. It worked, and she continued walking with the confidence of having a strong partner watching her back.

The streets were empty, except for the few cars and garbage that could be seen in almost every city by now. They reached the store without any setbacks.

It looked perfect from the outside, but once inside they sadly discovered that it was completely wrecked. They searched the place anyway, but the things that weren’t destroyed were too damaged to be of any use.

“What about this?” Yara asked showing Ellie a box that looked sealed.

“Oh? let’s see” she turned it over and sighed. 

“Xbox...not what we need, unfortunately” she said leaving the useless accessory on the shelf.

They spent an hour looking for anything that could be good, but they weren't exactly lucky.

“What now?” Lev asked a little crestfallen.

“Ellie? What do you say?” Abby asked her.

Ellie considered their options and looked at the apartment buildings around.

“We could check a couple of those, maybe some of this stuff ended up there at some point”

“Let’s set a time limit, I don't wanna stay here longer than we need to” Abby said starting to feel anxious.

Ellie noticed how she hid the worry in her voice. It worked with the kids, but not with her.

“We’ll start with this building” Ellie said looking at the one that was right in front of them.

They started walking and Ellie held Abby’s hand for a second before taking the lead again.

Abby looked at her going out first, immediately adopting her protective role. She loved the shiver that ran down her spine everytime Ellie did things like that.

And since she had never been good with public displays of affection, she was surprised to see how a plan was already starting to form in her head, a way to show her that she could do those things too. She wanted to.

“ _Now? Seriously?_ ” she thought, as if scolding her mind for being naughty.

Lev was turning to leave when he noticed that there was something behind the glass he was touching. His hand had removed decades of dust, letting him see the inside.

The shiny little things Ellie had on her backpack looked very similar to these. It wasn’t a game, but if Ellie considered them nice, maybe Whitney too.

He grabbed all of them and put them in his bag.

If Whitney had traveled fast before, it was nothing compared to the speed she was applying now. She was stopping only to check her compass, following a path that didn't look exactly safe. 

When she noticed she would have to go through a reservation, her whole body seemed to reject the idea. The last time she had been in one was also the last time she saw her family.

_“Mom!” a young Whitney yelled at the top of her lungs._

_The family of six had been traveling together for months, escaping the hustle of the cities and finding shelter in small groups of survivors, but never staying too long in one place._

_“You should keep moving, always moving” her mother told her whenever she asked her to stay a little longer in one of the shelters her father found._

_“But my friend…”_

_“You’ll meet new ones”_

_Her father had been quiet since the outbreak, communicating only through grunts and whistles, but he was still the patriarch, so they followed him without doubts._

_He saved them from the uproar and the infected, and they had survived because of his wise decisions. Until he made a mistake._

_The reservation was far, away from the city, the hospital and the infected and he was sure that it was going to be the perfect place to set up a camp. But there was a reason survivors avoided going through there._

_A deep and loud roar was heard and Whitney felt her whole body shaking. Her mother grabbed her hand and started to run._

_“Go!” one of her brothers yelled. He was the first to die._

_Then the other two when they tried to save him. The bear was huge and the bullet her father shot at him didn't seem to do any harm._

_She couldn't see anything else, her mother grabbed her in her arms, covering her eyes. She could hear something loud and constant between the sobs and the horrible sounds of her family being mauled to death. Water?_

_She could feel her mother’s heart beating at its limit, and her heavy breathing was something she would never forget. When she turned, Whitney could see the bear approaching fast, relentless and closer by the second._

_“Whitney, I love you!”_

_After these words she felt like flying, falling to the water that caught her like a safety net. When her face resurfaced, she looked up, trying to find her mother, but the current was taking her away too fast._

_She swam to the shore and wanted to run back to her, but she was too far now. Her whole body was tense and she started to cry. She cried so hard and for so long that she thought she had exhausted her share of tears when a group of survivors found her wandering alone in the woods._

“What the fuck! Why now?” she yelled in anger at the unpleasant flashback she had just experienced.

True, she was entering the forest one more time when she had swore to never do that again, especially alone. True, Nora was a prisoner and needed to be rescued.

True… the roar she heard just now sounded exactly like the one she heard back then.

After casting aside that awful memory, her sadness and fear were replaced by regret. Nora’s face kept appearing when she closed her eyes for too long.

“I should have searched the whole place. What if there was something important to consider? Another trap maybe?... No” 

She shook her head for the millionth time, convincing herself that she couldn't have done more without risking Nora’s only chance. And when she reached that thought she calmed again, breathing more easily.

She felt like being in the middle of a spiral of emotions. Alone and without any hope of finding someone to vent, or talk.

Clickers and runners ahead, again. 

She took out her gun and shot them without much worry. Stopped, closed her eyes and heard attentively, almost hoping to hear that roar again.

Her compass showed her that she was going in the right direction.

“One more hour, one more clearance, one more time” she repeated to herself thinking about the picture that was safely stored in her inner pocket.

“This time it’ll be different”

The trees looked the same everywhere she looked and there were dark spots that could hide wild animals or creatures. She was stepping into a deathly trap, but it was the only way of reaching the others faster, and that urgency was her main booster right now.

Darkness fell upon her and she turned on her flashlight, following a trail with the hope of finding a shelter for hikers. Just when she was starting to feel the exhaustion, she saw the facility.

It was closed and that made her smile. It meant no animals or creatures could have damaged the place.

She opened the door with some difficulty and used her flashlight. 

Something was moving behind what looked like a cabinet. She threw a stone at it and the shadow of a big rat was casted on the wall.

The place was almost empty, except for some boxes that were sealed. She opened them and frowned at the contents. Everything was rotten.

After checking and securing every window and door, she sat on a chair and took out her game with the idea of disappearing from this world for at least a little while.

The screen was black and did not turn on.

“Shit… not now, please” she sighed at the drained device after trying a few times and stored it again.

Her backpack felt lighter when she took one of the last cans of food she had left. She was about to open it when she saw the rat running away.

She turned to look where it came from and saw a safe with the key on the lock. She turned it without any hope, which made the discovery even more delicious.

“Honey” she said in awe at the small jar that was in her hands.

Her finger sank in the content and when she put it in her mouth, everything felt better for a second, life was not so bad after all. 

She ate a bit more and looked at a map that was pinned to the wall.

“Alright, I definitely walked faster now” she said with glee when she noticed that she was closer than she thought.

“Now I need to go… here, and then… Yes, one more week or so”

With her spirit a lot higher than a few moments ago she prepared to spend the night as comfortable and warm as possible.

“Tomorrow’s gonna be better… I gotta stop talking to myself… now” she allowed her restless mind one more thought about the bear and then closed her eyes, falling asleep shortly after.


	48. “Old habits”

“Next!” 

Ellie, Abby and Lev were ready to leave the building. They hadn't been lucky at all and Lev was really disappointed. He was walking ahead, hoping that the little metal things he found were not the only gift they could get for Whitney.

Yara was outside, ready to run and whistle their own alert if she saw any danger. Ellie had insisted on practicing something only they could do and recognize, and Abby mastered it before her.

“Stop thinking about it, you’ll win next time” Abby said to Ellie when they were walking towards the exit.

“I’m not thinking about it! It’s just… I was about to” 

Abby chuckled at her pouting lips.

“You look really cute when you lose”

“Don't you dare make this a thing”

“A thing? Me? Oh _babe_ , you don't know me”

Ellie stopped walking and Abby looked back at her, thinking that maybe she had gone too far with her joke.

“You do know me” she said, slowly walking towards her.

She held her hands and was staring at her so close that Ellie felt as if looking into her very soul.

There was so much behind those blue eyes… She knew. She really knew her, and that realization made her blush furiously.

“Uhmm… guys?” Yara whispered and they scolded each other for being so distracted.

She smiled at their red faces and led them outside, where Lev was standing so still that she had to stop them from rushing towards him.

A deer could be seen walking very slowly at the end of the street, making the most of this rain-free moment, and completely unaware that it was now being watched with extreme attention.

Ellie immediately determined the direction of the wind and was relieved to see that it was in their favour. 

“ _Lev”_ she whispered when she noticed that he was about to get closer.

“S _orry!_ ” he mouthed, feeling a little told off, but then he saw her smile and mirrored it.

“ _Old habits_ ” Yara whispered next to Ellie, who was thinking about the rifle she had lost.

Abby still had one and took it out, giving it to her.

“ _Why me?_ ” Ellie asked in a voice as quiet as possible.

“ _Because you’re the best at this_ ” Abby said with complete honesty in the same hushed voice.

“ _Don't you dare…_ ” Ellie said with a smirk.

“ _Oh, deer… I wouldn’t!_ ” 

Ellie had to muffle her chuckle as she took position.

The others carefully crouched and froze. Yara and Abby were staring at the deer, but Lev’s eyes were fixed on Ellie, capturing her every move. 

He noticed that she was breathing differently, her hands were really steady and she looked stronger, a lot more… 

_“What was the word_ ? _Neat_ ? _Cool_ ? _Just awesome_ ” he thought as he looked at the old world weapon that was about to be fired.

The gunshot echoed around them and their bodies adopted the alert position of imminent danger, but then relaxed when no other sound reached their ears.

“That was a nice shot” Yara said, looking at the brown spot in the distance.

“Let’s go check it and then continue with our search, what d’you say?” she asked around and saw only smiling faces.

It took them less than a minute to get to the dead animal. It wasn't big, but it was more than enough for them and the idea of such a nice dinner lifted their spirits. 

Lev was already thinking about making his special gravy. Yara noticed him and wanted to help, since she couldn't do much with her arm still unstable.

“You’re doing it, right?” she asked him.

“Yes” he said with glee.

“But… are you sure?”

“If we can get to a safe place, I don't see why not”

Yara looked pensive and then chuckled.

“Will you warn them?” she asked looking at Abby and Ellie preparing the deer for transport.

“Should I?”

The siblings looked at each other and shared a conspiratorial smile.

The next building had some creatures inside and they decided to take them down. It wasn’t hard and soon they were checking the rooms. A couple of them had video games consoles, but nothing they could use.

Ellie started to feel like they were looking for a needle in a haystack and was thinking about giving up.

“Let’s make this the last one” she said in front of a building that didn't look promising at all.

The others agreed not too happily, but also knowing that they couldn't spend more time than what they had agreed.

When they stepped through the door they saw that what seemed like a chain explosion had taken place in the past, and now almost half of the building was leading to the open road. 

Ellie walked towards the edge and looked down at the debris and other things that had fallen from the upper floors. Lev and Yara were soon at her side, and Abby stayed a little behind, not really interested in being so close to a high spot.

This opening allowed them to see almost every room at the same time and Ellie’s heart beated faster when she noticed one that was filled with posters of games she knew.

“This seems like a job for the brick master” she said, taking out the brick she had picked up before.

She showed it to the others and they nodded, taking a defensive position. She waited until Yara was near the door and then turned and prepared to do something she really enjoyed.

After considering the beams that were still exposed and calculating the distance, she threw the little block and watched it land right where she wanted. As expected, yells could now be heard all around.

Some creatures fell from the floors above and crashed several feet down. Others came running towards them and were promptly eliminated.

A few minutes later and with a few less bullets and arrows they thought they were safe, but Ellie stopped them. 

She knew there was something else, she could feel it.

“Ellie?”

“Shh… just wait”

A sound that was hard to identify started to get closer, followed by another one that resembled a big door being broken, and then a horrible and loud yell left their ears ringing.

Abby looked wide eyed at the biggest bloater she had seen so far. 

It was almost the size of the abomination they killed in the hospital, but even though it didn't have other creatures attached to it nor it was quicker than usual, there was definitely something eerie about that huge mass of decay.

“Run! Run outside!” Ellie yelled when she saw it twirling and doing something behind its back. 

The others ran away and she stayed behind to make sure they got out safe.

Just as she thought, the creature was preparing to throw a spore bomb, but she was faster and the pipe bomb she threw exploded right on its chest.

She saw with horror how it didn’t even flinch, instead of that, the spore bomb that was forming got even bigger.

Ellie didn’t have time to run and looked helplessly at the sphere of death that was coming her way. 

All she got to do was to duck and dive, and soon found herself surrounded by thick spores. She immediately looked around for the others, feeling her heart beating all over her body.

“Please, be outside…” she kept repeating and then she felt her heart calming down and reaching its normal size when she saw them outside and safe. 

The kids looked frenzied and Abby was divided between containing them and going after Ellie.

“Shit…” Ellie thought suddenly with a hand on her face, realizing that she didn’t have her mask on.

Hoping that the spores were thick enough to hide her from view, she decided to face the creature by herself before it went after them.

The yells from the others were muffled by the yells of the bloater, and shot after shot she saw it getting weaker. She dived, ran, jumped over obstacles and shot again, making use of all of her abilities to defeat the horrible being.

She was reloading her shotgun when she saw it forming a spore bomb again.

“No… shit!” she started to panic when she saw that it was almost ready.

Immune or not, that attack could be devastating.

A gunshot stopped it, and then another one. Abby was like an apparition, her mask protecting her from the contaminated air and her eyes looking for the girl that was breathing it without any trouble.

She shot the creature again and Ellie joined her, defeating it for good.

“Thanks” she said to Abby when they were out of danger.

“You were reckless”

“I’m sorry”

“Don’t, just… come here” Abby gave her a tight hug. 

Ellie could feel her fear being washed away, and she felt guilty. How could she ask her to do something she wasn’t able to do herself? This had been a personal test, and she had failed.

“What about…? How did they react?” Ellie couldn't manage to formulate the complete question, she was really worried about her secret being exposed.

“I think they’re trying to convince themselves that you got away somehow, so maybe it’ll be better if you put your mask on”

“Right, wouldn’t hurt to try” she said doing exactly that.

There were no more creatures now, and she grabbed Abby’s arm before leaving.

“I still wanna check that place”

“Ellie…”

“Please”

“Ok, let me tell the kids”

“I’m here” Lev had his mask on and was looking at Ellie with shiny eyes.

“I’m ok” she said to him with a smile and was touched by his relief.

“Yara?” Abby asked him looking outside, where she saw her waving.

“She’s fine. I told her I wanted to help”

“Thank you, Lev”

He smiled and looked at the creature.

“It was big”

“And stupid” Ellie said picking up another brick.

She threw it without waiting, just to double check. No other sound came this time, except for the faint ones coming from the depths below.

Abby saw her picking up a loose cable and throwing it over one of the beams.

“Don't tell me you’re going to…”

“Yes, we’re gonna do exactly that” Ellie said resting a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Keep an eye on Yara” she said at her and saw how fear and anguish were quickly replaced by a stronger feeling.

“Be careful” Abby said.

“Always” Ellie replied.

Lev was eager, but contained himself. He was determined to be careful and smart, and right now was amazed by Ellie’s plan. He saw her taking the other end of the cable and checking the resistance.

“I’ll go first” she said and before he could even nod, she jumped holding tight and bridged the gap, landing on the other side without any effort.

She threw the cable and Lev picked it up, welcoming the adrenaline rush that accompanies cheating death. 

Ellie was ready to jump after him if necessary, but she was sure that he could do it, and when he landed at her side she raised a hand about head-high with a grin.

“What’s that?” he said, looking at her palm.

“High five” she said taking his hand and showing him how to do it.

He was ecstatic.

“This place is unbelievable” Ellie said looking at the posters and magazines, wanting to take it all.

“Are all of these from games?” Lev asked, looking at a particularly nasty design of an outer space monster attacking humans.

“Yeah, isn't it great?” 

He chuckled at the huge smile on her face and helped her check every corner of the small space, dusting off anything that looked useful.

Ellie was throwing away an empty box when she noticed something under the bed.

“I wonder…” she said, taking out a large and rectangular box that had been carefully sealed.

She didn't want to let her hopes high, but couldn't help it. This could be it. She looked at Lev as if waiting for a sign. 

He kneeled next to her, both of them thinking that this was their last chance.

“Together” she said and four hands opened the lid.

Whitney was really happy that she hadn’t had to start eating rats. She still had a couple of cans, and now some honey. The energy she got from it was all she needed to go on, for now.

She was following the trail again, checking her compass and listening for any indication of danger.

Nora was on her mind. Was she ok? Were they hitting her?

“ _I’m sure we can tame her_ ”

The words of that big guy kept repeating in her head. And then she had to convince herself one more time that the best thing she could do was to hurry up. 

The reservation had been a huge wake up call to the real world and she was glad to leave it behind. No bears crossed her way, and she was having mixed feelings about it. 

On one side, she was ready to kill one of those beasts. It would have been some kind of closure. 

But on the other, she was in such a fragile mental state right now that probably would have failed, and joined her loved ones the same way, leaving Nora to the mercy of those bastards.

She shook the bad memories away and kept walking. Her faithful compass told her she was still going in the right direction, so she kept pushing.

“One more tree, one more bridge, one more…”

The idea of finding Abby and the others was starting to sound like a dream. Each day was getting harder than the last one, and she never thought that the one thing she hadn't considered before leaving was the only thing she was finding most hard to overcome: the lack of company.

“Who needs them?” she said to a squirrel, and then regretted having talked and scared what could’ve been a nice dinner.

Rain, cold, hunger and no electricity. She had been living comfortable for way too long, and this shocking reality was unbearable. 

“This Jackson place better have some juice!”

She never asked Abby about it, but… it really wasn't something that important. At this point, the company was more than enough. Hell, a safe place and warm food were now just a nice illusion to think of.

“What is it?” Lev asked, unable to read the funny expression on Ellie’s face.

“Lev, this is… a treasure”

Inside of the box, safely wrapped and in an apparent perfect condition was a fantastic collection of portable consoles and their respective games. They put all they could in their bags, without checking them in detail.

The cable made a different sound this time because of the heavier backpacks, and Ellie considered it a sign of success. 

Abby was waiting in the middle of the hallway, in a spot where she could have eyes both on them and Yara at the same time.

“So?” she asked and was relieved to see them beaming.

“We found a treasure” Lev said, very proud.

“Nice! Let’s get the hell out of here then”

Once in the open they took their masks off and Yara hugged Ellie as soon as she set one foot outside.

“I thought you…”

“I know. I’m sorry” she smiled at the young girl.

“Yara, that demon was huge!”

They got into a detailed conversation about the creature and started walking towards the car. Abby picked up the deer and put it over her shoulders.

“Good thing you’re so strong, these backpacks are heavy now and Yara can’t help” Ellie gave her a side-eyed and then laughed at her reaction.

“Hey!” Yara scolded her playfully.

“I’m joking!” Ellie said grabbing the straps of her backpack in an attempt to make it lighter.

“Well, it’s not that heavy anyways, but I’ll take that as a compliment” Abby said smiling.

The car was waiting for them like a metallic horse for four that was eager to get home.

“We’re off! Thank you, almost destroyed building!” Ellie said waving at the wrecked construction.

“You’re strange sometimes” Lev said, unable to hold his laugh.

They left that place feeling extremely successful, and Ellie knew that they could still reach the safe house before nightfall. The last time she had been there…

She looked at Abby sitting on her side and blushed when she read in her eyes that she was thinking the same thing, already recognizing the road they had traveled together not really that long ago.

Lev put a hand over his backpack, and was feeling a little anxious about this new place. He felt Yara’s small hand on his leg and smiled.

“We’ll be fine” she said only to him.

“We’re already fine” he said looking at the two incredible people that were smiling at each other in the front seats.

Yara sighed and relaxed, and heard Lev doing the same thing. A couple of minutes later they were both fast asleep, feeling safe… and loved.


	49. “Home”

Nora was sitting on a dirty bench, cleaning vegetables in a kind of automatic mode. She looked around discreetly every now and then, trying to memorize the patrols, the rotation of the soldiers and any other valuable information she could use to get out of there. 

But then she frowned and clenched her fists in anger at the usefulness of that exercise, making the beans she was peeling jump out of her hands.

She picked them up, blew the dirt off and tossed them into the half-filled can that was at her side. She still had a long way to go, since it had to be full if she wanted to rest and eat something.

Her tired hand grabbed a new pod, resuming the repetitive task. She started remembering the day when they arrived at this place, surrounded and captive.

And they weren't the only ones in that state. A prisoner had been caught running away, and they learned why escaping was such a bad idea.

_“A stray… fucking perfect” one of the guys said, punching his palm._

_The sound alone was enough to make the “stray” pee his pants. Fear. A fear beyond words was all Nora could see in that man’s eyes._

_He was shrinking away, wide eyed and shaking. The guy that was walking towards him raised his fist and stopped just before hitting him._

_“Not yet” he said grinning and grabbed him by the neck._

_“Come. You’ll see what happens now”_

They had been forced to follow. The seagulls and the cool air seemed off somehow, and then they saw the beach.

Nora immediately shook her head to banish the horrible images that would surely haunt her for the rest of her life, and grabbed another pod.

Escaping was ruled out. Still, there was always hope, she just needed to wait… and be patient.

The loss of her partners and Bear had left her in a very rebellious state, and these guys were nothing like the Wolves. There was no honour here and her black eye was proof of that.

She shivered at the memory of the beating Steve got, only because she had refused to do what she was told. She saw him bleeding and standing up with difficulty, never blaming her. And then she was hit so unexpectedly that the pain was both physical and psychological. 

Since that moment, she had obeyed their commands without hesitating. That way only her pride got damaged.

She tossed the peas and grabbed another pod. The monotony of what she was doing forced her mind to find any stimulus possible in order to keep her functioning. But she wasn't having fun with the kind of incentive she was getting.

A couple of soldiers hit a man that dropped a bucket a few feet from her, and she just looked down at her hands.

In this place there were two kinds of people, strong and weak. 

The strong ones started to climb positions, while the weaks were given chores like feeding the animals, cleaning vegetables and preparing the food.

This group of survivors called themselves Rattlers, and they undergo a training that made them worthy of their name, mastering the art of hiding and attacking when least expected in order to capture people and infected alike, usually disabling the first in the most unnecessary and cruel ways.

She had found out with horror that there wasn't any doctor or nurse around, and that they had a very harsh policy regarding sick people. Either they made it on their own, or they were turned into infected that would be used to defend the perimeter.

It was sickening and she couldn't understand this idea of treating people like an unlimited resource.

 _“She’s a doctor!”_ Ted had said in a futile attempt to give her a chance.

_“Shut up and keep walking, I give a damn if she’s a doctor or the cure itself”_

The man hit Ted so hard that he lost the audition on his left ear for good. 

Nora had been taking care of him whenever they met. She had to be quick, because helping another prisoner could be really bad for both of the involved.

She was thinking about all of this when she heard those nasty, yet familiar voices. The guys that attacked her group were getting back from their patrol, one of them was carrying a woman over his shoulder.

“ _Another victim_ ” Nora thought, feeling sorry for her.

Instead of going to the prisoner’s cell, they started discussing something in the middle of the yard.

“ _Don't you dare! She looks fine!_ ” she thought without looking at what she was doing, and several peas fell outside the can. 

This time she didn't bother to pick them up. The idea of a healthy woman being thrown to the pool with infected just for fun was enough to make her feel sick. 

She was cleaning her mouth when one of them called her.

“You! Come here!”

She stood up too fast and felt a little dizzy. Water and food at will were something from the past. They had schedules for feeding, but they were never enough, and she could feel her body getting weaker, despite the fact that she had been here for only a couple of days.

“What are you doing?”

“Cleaning vegetables”

“Stop that and come with us”

She was about to say no, but thought otherwise. 

“I told you she could be tamed!” the big guy said to the other one with a horrible smile.

“You’re not gonna give us trouble now, do you?”

Nora shook her head, feeling her blood boiling inside.

“Yeah… I thought so. If you do, we can always pick up another one of your friends and repeat that fun activity”

The guys walked towards the pool and Nora followed them in silence, feeling like a bomb about to explode. There were clickers tied up here and there, and the floor was dark after absorbing the blood and tissue of so many poor unfortunate souls.

“Where are we going?” 

The big guy didn’t answer his partner and just turned around, following the path that was leading to a shed on the back side of the resort. Nora breathed a sigh of relief.

“Now… You two are gonna weed this yard”

She looked at what he was pointing at and blanched. It would take her days to clean that patch of field, and that woman looked too weak to be of any help. At least the pool was ruled out, for now.

When she turned to say something she found them grinning.

“Yes?” the big guy asked with a crooked smile.

_“They want me to complain, to do something reckless… but I won’t”_

“Nothing” Nora swallowed the words she wanted to say out loud and looked at the perimeter.

“Don’t even think about escaping, remember what could happen to you” the smaller guy mimicked being tied up to a pole.

They went away laughing loudly and she sighed. This job was still better than what the guys had to do, and that was a kind of bittersweet booster.

The woman was starting to wake up, her blue eyes were puffed and her cheeks were a little sunken. Thinking that she probably wouldn't make it, Nora decided to make her last days somewhat more pleasant.

“Stay calm, please” she said to her when she noticed that she was getting agitated.

“My husband” the woman suddenly stopped, devastated.

“I’m sorry” Nora said trying to comfort her, suspecting the fate of her beloved.

She sat with difficulty and looked around.

“Where are we?”

“Santa Barbara”

“Yeah, I know that, but what is this place?”

“I’m not so sure. But it’s bad”

“How bad?”

Nora regretted answering so honestly. The woman seemed to be at the brink of a panic attack, and she was trying to find the words that could calm her, if only for a moment.

“We have to work a lot, and the food is not too good” she said and the woman gulped.

“ _Maybe I’m not doing this the right way_ ” she thought and then added what might work for her.

“What I do like is that I can sleep knowing that no infected is gonna bite me, and we get food and water”

That did it. The woman’s eyes were shining with… excitement? No, she started crying her heart out.

“ _Shit, I failed miserably_ ” Nora said to herself.

She caressed her back, deciding that it was better to wait for her to stop naturally.

It was taking a while and she was starting to get anxious, she knew those guys will check the progress of their work, and so far it was zero.

“I’m gonna be right here, k?” she said to the sobbing woman.

She didn’t answer, so Nora started weeding a land that looked too infertile to be of any use. And as she was doing that, she started developing a theory.

“ _Maybe they don’t intend to use this. Maybe it’s just a decoy, maybe…_ ”

The possibilities were circling in her mind, getting worse, replaced, eliminated and considered again. Another monotonous task meant another chance for her mind to start wandering.

The absence of sound took her out of her musings, something was wrong. She looked at the woman and she wasn’t there.

“Shit, shit. Hey!” she yelled, surprised that she never asked her name.

Something caught her eye and she went closer. The woman had tried to run away, but passed out in the attempt. She checked her vitals and pursed her lips. There was nothing she could do for her right now, and that impotence irritated her.

Saying that Nora was angry was an understatement. She was furious, frustrated, infuriated! And decided to release her wrath on the land. 

Little by little a patch was forming around them. Rain started to fall and Nora took out her jacket and used it to cover the unconscious woman, who didn’t wake up.

Hours later the guys came by to check on them, and looked annoyed when they saw that Nora had been doing what she was told.

“What about her?”

“She passed out”

“Wake her up”

Nora had to bite her lips, it was taking all of her self-control to restrain herself from arguing.

She kneeled next to the woman and shook her, trying to be gentle and effective at the same time. It worked. 

“What?” the woman said confused and Nora didn’t get to say anything back.

The guys were right behind her, moving as silently as snakes in the grass.

“Welcome back sweetie, time to get your shit done” one of them said.

The woman blinked and looked from him to Nora. She was frowning and clearly thinking fast.

“Now!” the guy yelled, making her startle.

Nora extended her hand to help her and received a hard hit on it.

“No helping others”

She looked at eyes so cold that she thought she could use them for her bruise.

Slowly and in silence, the two women continued the apparently useless work.

“We’ll be back soon”

“Food?” Nora asked, remembering that long questions about basic needs tend to result in bad outcomes.

“Soon” 

She saw them leaving and her stomach rumbled, the sound replicating next to her.

“So, this is it” the woman said, using her weakened hands to remove the weeds.

“What’s your name?” Nora asked her plainly, not wanting to dwell in the hellish place they were at.

“Lily”

“Nora”

They shook hands, feeling a little warmer, despite the harsh conditions they were facing now.

Whitney was doing her best to get warm. Her clothes were wet and her feet felt like two blocks of ice.

“Come on!” the fire she had been trying to start didn’t look like coming for a visit.

She dropped the things she was using and walked around, wishing that she had the energy to do some exercises and get warmer that way.

The house she was in was really cold, and even though she had spent a lot of time and energy setting up a special shelter in one of the rooms, the wind still found a way in. She needed a fire.

She stopped dead on her tracks and inhaled deeply.

“Could that be?” 

She was rushing towards what looked like a pile of old newspapers and magazines when she felt something landing on her head.

“SHIT!” she yelled when she saw what it was.

A big spider was running away, leaving her with a heart pumping so fast that she felt her warm blood traveling all over her body in a very convenient way.

With the surprise gone, she noticed the change in her temperature and remembered something Nora had told her once.

_“Adrenaline? Are you sure?”_

_“Yeah! Want me to explain how?”_

_Whitney nodded with a smile, Nora’s enthusiasm was contagious and she soon found herself listening to a private lecture about the effects of adrenaline in the human body._

_“So… it’s good, AND bad”_

_“Mostly good in case of an emergency, but you need to consider all of the factors”_

_“Weak legs, shaky hands and whatnot”_

_“This is not a joke, if you ever face danger thinking that it’s something similar to your games, you’re gonna die”_

_“Jeez! I get it!” Whitney showed her palms in defeat, since she had been thinking about her game all along._

“Nora, I’m coming for you, just hang in there” she said after doing some breathing exercises to recover from the surprise.

This adrenaline rush had been minimal, so she wasn't experiencing any of the side effects Nora had told her about.

She checked the magazines and saved a couple for later, grateful that at least she would be able to distract herself with some reading, and the Time magazine she had in her hands called her attention for a special reason.

“ _A world without bees_. Well, can’t be worse than a world with cordyceps” she said and left it at hand for later.

She took out her honey and dipped a finger, amazed at how just a little of it could make her feel more energized and with a clearer mind.

“Alright, let’s make this fire… who the hell am I talking to?” she asked out loud, clearly failing in her plan to stop talking to herself.

Not long after she was reading her magazine next to a very nice fire. Her feet were warm, her shoes were getting dry and she was heating a soup, probably the last one for a while.

“Colony collapse disorder” she read the words out loud and put the magazine away with a grimace.

“I think that’s enough for now”

She fell asleep as soon as her head touched the improvised pillow.

The jeep stopped and Lev slowly opened his eyes. Yara was yawning next to him, having woken up only a few minutes earlier.

“Where are we?” he asked and Ellie answered.

“Tonight’s home”

It was something so nice to hear, that he felt a knot forming in his throat.

“ _Home_ ” Yara repeated, sharing the sentiment.

“Let’s check it first”

Abby jumped out of the car and opened the door for the kids. She helped Yara and looked at the safe house Ellie knew so well.

“Alright guys, as usual” Ellie said in the special tone she reserved for dangerous situations.

They took their positions in a very solid formation and checked their surroundings, looking impenetrable. Yara was in the middle, out of any possible danger. 

The area was clear and they all relaxed and followed Ellie to the door.

She was the first inside. The house was empty, but she noticed that someone had been there not too long ago. The kids entered after Abby and looked at everything, immediately noting how different it was from what they had seen so far.

Ellie grabbed the ledger and found Jesse’s handwriting.

“ _No sign of Abby and Ellie_ ” she read out loud.

“What?” Abby asked, turning fast when hearing her name.

“Why are you first?”

“Because I’m always first” she looked at Ellie’s killer eyes and snorted.

“ _A_ ”

“What?” Ellie asked, confused.

“Abigail, Anderson. I’m used to being first in lists” she said shrugging and Ellie chuckled and tried to playfully hit her with the ledger, but Abby was faster and caught her mid-air.

“Abigail?” Lev asked and Abby flinched at her full name.

“Yeah… but let’s keep it short, k?” she said and Lev nodded, understanding better than anyone the importance of being called properly.

“It’s a beautiful name” Yara said and made her smile.

After leaving their stuff inside, Abby went out to take care of the deer.

“Can I help?” Lev offered and she accepted gladly, since butchering had never been her thing.

She was about to drop the animal on the ground, but he stopped her.

“You need to hang it first”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously”

She chortled at the professional look on his face and did what she was told. It took her a good half an hour to hang the beast properly, but she was having fun following his directions. 

Soon they were both knife in hand.

Lev was very skillful and Abby was looking at him in awe, deliberately working slower in order to appreciate his technique.

What she didn't know was that he had been a prodigy when it came to butchering animals. 

He was lost in the task at hand, forgetting that he wasn't the only one doing it. His hands were very agile and they were skinning the animal as if it was made of butter.

The knife slided through without any difficulty or doubt, and Abby felt like witnessing the results of a very demanding personal challenge.

She suddenly missed her own routine of exercises, but the nostalgic feeling lasted only a few seconds, because she also remembered the reason for her own personal challenge, the reason for getting stronger… 

“What is it?” Lev noticed the change in her demeanor.

“Oh, nothing”

“A bad memory” he said without taking his eyes from the animal he was now cutting into major pieces.

“You’re so mature sometimes”

“Only sometimes” he said with a laugh.

“Shit, you did it all” 

“I don't mind”

“He actually loves it” Yara was walking towards them, and Abby noticed the clean bandage on her arm.

Lev laughed and asked Abby for help to grab the pieces. Together they hung the meat in the garage, away from bugs and other animals.

“I guess you’re not doing it tonight” Yara said to him when they were alone.

“I don't think so, but I will, someday” he winked at her and they waited for a minute before entering the other room.

Ellie and Abby were having a moment.


	50. “Give it a shot”

“What are you doing there?” Ellie asked Yara and Lev when she noticed them in the other room.

“We were just…” Lev suddenly blushed and Ellie did the same.

“Don’t… don’t let us make you feel…” she couldn't even begin to say the rest of that sentence.

“We were checking the meat, what are you saying?” Yara asked her trying to look innocent, but then chuckled when she saw her getting flustered.

“C’mon, let’s make something to eat before she blushes to death” Abby said, grinning at Ellie’s impossible red face.

Yara and Lev volunteered to cook and found no objection whatsoever.

“How can you be so cool about it?” Ellie asked Abby in a whisper.

“I don't know… I guess I don't really mind after all” she shrugged and Ellie raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“That’s so cool, _love_ ” she had deliberately whispered that last word in her ear in a very subtle way.

“A-ha!” she exclaimed victorious when she saw her starting to blush.

“Stop it!” Abby couldn't hold her laugh and used her hands to cover her pink cheeks.

The house was soon filled with a very nice smell. Lev spotted a set of bowls that were all from different sizes and colors.

“Is any of these yours?” he asked Ellie, pointing at them.

“Give it a shot” she said.

“A... shot?” Lev gulped and looked at Yara, who shrugged as confused as him.

“Ellie…” Abby nudged her and gave her a **_we talked about this_ ** look when she noticed her about to laugh.

“Lev, I mean _guess_ ” she said doing her best to mantain a serious face.

Abby smirked and patted her back in a congratulatory way.

“I see... Of course, shooting didn't seem right” he said laughing with a hand behind his neck.

“Alright, I got this” he started examining the bowls, and noticed Yara doing the same. 

They looked at each other with the word _challenge_ written all over their faces.

“On three” Yara said very seriously.

“One, two… Three!” they both pointed to a different one.

Ellie smiled and put a hand on Yara’s shoulder. 

“You were close, but Lev got it”

Lev’s face went from happy to smug in two seconds, and Yara huffed as she put the rest of the round containers on the table.

“A giraffe?” Abby said, looking at Lev’s choice.

“Yeah, I…” Ellie had to stop, surprised by the sudden knot that had appeared on her throat. 

Lev shot a glance at Yara and she scolded him with her eyes.

Ellie was even more surprised when she noticed Abby’s arm around her waist, her hand now tenderly caressing her back.

“ _You noticed_ ” she said to her without voicing it, and then she cleared her throat and grabbed the bowl with a smile.

“It’s actually a good story, but we’ll leave it for another time” she gave it back to Lev, who took it with extreme care now.

She wanted to tell them all about Joel and thought that maybe through her memories, along with some old pictures and lousy drawings, they could get to know the man that will always be a part of her life.

They had a hearty meal that left them with an unbearable sleepiness.

Ellie looked at Abby and unconsciously used her thumb to clean a spot next to her mouth. It had been an impulse, and she went crimson once again when she noticed her lips parting in a gasp. 

The kids didn't seem to have noticed. 

“ _Or mind_ ” Ellie thought trying to get used to that scenario.

She was still recovering when she heard Lev’s voice.

“Can we all sleep tonight?” he asked her, remembering their talk about lookouts.

“Yes. We’re safe here” she said, appreciating his good memory and keen mind, and welcoming a feeling that was completely new.

Abby stood up and went to her backpack. She rummaged for a bit and could feel all eyes on her.

She saw the small book she was looking for, and excitement ran through her. She had been saving this reveal for a while and was eager to share it.

“ _When we’re safe_ ” she had vowed to herself.

She had never found one in such good condition, and really appreciated the previous owner’s effort to ensure that it stayed that way. She smiled at the waterproof bag that had protected the beautiful design on the leather cover for so many years.

“What d’you have there?” Ellie asked her.

“A book” she said, knowing that it was so much more.

Yara and Lev were really curious. Abby sat next to Ellie and opened it.

“Fairy tales?” Yara read and Abby noticed the excitement.

Ellie was as amazed as the kids, and they were all circling Abby, watching her every move.

“Let’s see” she said, running her finger through the index, and then stopped at a title.

She started passing the pages with a smirk.

“This should be good… Alright, here it is” she said and now it was her time to hold her laugh at the expectant look on their faces.

“ _Next to a great forest there lived a poor woodcutter with his wife and his two children. The boy's name was Hansel and the girl's name was Gretel…_ ” she started reading and soon they were completely absorbed in the story. 

Abby was a very fluent reader. She paused at the right moment and even changed tones for the different characters, relishing the reaction of her little audience. 

She was really enjoying this perfect family time and when she finished, the house exploded in clapping and cheering.

“That was so… what’s the word?” Yara said, still clapping.

She was so impressed with what they had just heard that she didn't notice what she was doing.

“Sweet!” Ellie said looking at the flawless movement of the arm she had been tending to.

“Ellie! Yes… I mean...” Yara couldn’t finish because he was laughing, still unaware.

“Yara, your arm” Ellie pointed at it and she gaped.

“Oh, it feels… good” she said, removing the sling that was already loose.

“Tomorrow’s gonna be a fun day” Ellie said, already picturing the possibilities of Yara being almost fully recovered.

“Another one?” Lev asked Abby, but she shook her head.

“Tomorrow. Maybe we could make _this_ a thing” she said with a wink, putting the book in its bag again, and giving a side glance to Ellie, who knew perfectly well what she meant.

Lev was still excited and wanted to go find the guitar, but he got distracted for so long that fell asleep with a hand extended as if trying to summon the instrument.

Yara wanted to play and Ellie and Abby stopped when her cards fell from her hands. Abby helped her get comfortable, and saw her joining Lev in the land of dreams in record time.

She slowly walked towards Ellie, who was patting the cushion that was at her side.

“Man, I’m so done” she said, sighing and looking at the familiar roof.

“Yeah, I didn't know how much I missed being safe” Abby said and lay down next to her.

“I know what you mean”

They looked at each other, but not for long. The emotions of the day and the drowsiness after such a good meal was a killer combination.

In their sleep, their bodies reached for closeness and, for the first time in a very long time, they enjoyed a dreamless night.

The sun was shining when Ellie woke up.

The first she saw was Abby’s beautiful face. She had clearly slept curled around her. 

Her hand was on her waist and she held her breath as she took it out, so careful that she was afraid that it would tickle her. But Abby turned without waking up.

Ellie stood up like a ghost, knowing that walking unnoticed was something she could do perfectly well.

She looked outside the window through a small crack in the boards before going to the door.

No one heard it being opened, and she closed her eyes when she felt a cold breeze that crossed her face and moves the branches of the trees nearby.

She closed the door behind her and walked a bit towards Jackson’s direction, the faces of her friends appeared one by one, and the last image was a grave.

“ _This must be hard for her too_ ” she said to herself, thinking about Abby and Owen. 

Abby woke up and blinked a few times, her eyes were getting used to the lighting. Lev and Yara were still asleep and Ellie was not at her side.

She stood up as quietly as possible and silently walked towards the door.

“ _There you are_ ” she thought and started going towards her like a hunter approaching a prey.

She hugged her from behind, chuckling at her suppressed yell.

“Good morning” she said and gave her a peck on the neck.

“Good morning” Ellie answered, turning and looking at her.

“I slept so good...” Abby stopped mid sentence. 

A ray of light was shining over Ellie and the sight was astonishing.

“Me too, it’s so cool that we have this” Ellie said looking at the house where the kids were still sleeping, without noticing Abby’s reaction to a very fortunate whim of nature.

“What is it?” Abby asked, still hugging her.

“What?”

“You’re worried”

“How do you know that?”

“Really?” Abby said, raising an eyebrow and in a voice that sounded too sexy for such an early hour.

Ellie was once again trapped in those eyes, and the kiss they shared next was one of the best so far.

“So?” Abby asked her, and Ellie noticed that her cheeks were a little more pink than usual.

"I’m just worried about them" she said, looking back at the road they had come from.

The cold breeze made them squint.

"They'll come” Abby said following Ellie’s eyes and trying to sound convincing, but then bit her lip. She had been thinking about that too.

“Well, we did have a car. That sure made the journey a hell of a lot shorter” Ellie said, noting her concern.

“Yeah, it did”

They looked at the car they had been using. They hadn’t told the kids that it was now out of gas, but they knew that they wouldn't have any problem with that.

“I bet they had to figure out the way of leaving without being followed or something. I know Nora, she’ll be here” Abby said looking at the road again and trying to ignore the feeling of being a target.

“She’s really cool, I can’t wait to talk to her about some ideas I have”

“Let me tell you this about Nora. If you start a topic, prepare to listen to everything about it! Private lectures are like her thing. I know you don't like losing, but Nora is something else, especially with knowledge”

“She sounds interesting, and fun”

“Yeah, she is”

“And Whitney too… I’m this close to start testing those games” Ellie said with a grin so wide that Abby chuckled.

“Whitney’s gonna die before our eyes, trust me… she _really loves_ playing games. I always feared she would end up being killed because of that”

“Oh man, that would be such a horrible death”

“Yeah, not swift at all... Ellie, if you found anything that works, prepare to have a slave for life”

“I’ll make sure to include Lev on the deal, he’ll be thrilled”

“He’s such a cool kid, you should have seen him butchering the deer last night!”

“Really? Well, I figured. Sometimes I look at them and try to imagine their life among the Seraphites”

“I’m sure they’ll share some of that in the future. I hope so, I’m really curious”

“The future…”

They looked at each other and intertwined their hands. The future seemed brighter than ever before.

  
  


Whitney was feeling happy. She felt rested and well fed, even though she hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while. Still, her positiveness was so strong that she could almost feed from it.

“Alright, one more… oh, fuck it”

She kept walking, humming one of the songs from her game and picturing herself as a playable character.

“I’m certainly earning points in Mobility, and I’m sure as hell that I won a great deal of points for Boldness”

The woods started to look like a green sea, and she was diving right into it. Cars and houses every now and then were the only indicator that humans had inhabited that place sometime in the past.

She knew that her traveling speed wasn't the same as it had been in the beginning, so she wasn't too surprised when she saw that road sign. She sighed, knowing that she was still far away from the first spot marked in her mental map. 

The safe house Ellie had suggested visiting before Jackson. 

She had been picturing that place all this time, and right now it seemed like a dream. A roof that wouldn't collapse overnight, windows that could really be called that. And warmth. Maybe some food… electricity would be too much to ask, but why not?

Nights were definitely getting harder. It was at that time when she really felt the absence of company and safety. Daylight was always welcome, and she started the day trying to stay as positive as possible.

Her steps were heavier, but still quiet. And she had never been so grateful for that. 

The road ahead was full of infected that would have heard any other person, but not her. She was rooted to the spot, not even trying to count what seemed like a potential horde.

There was no possible way of going through without attacking them. And she didn't have enough ammo, nor energy, to come out victorious of such a deed.

“ _Shit…_ ”

She considered her options for a while, trying to find an alternative to what seemed like the only way.

No use, she would have to go back, and that would cost her precious time. 

Nora was counting on her.

“ _Even more reason to be smart about it_ ” she said to convince herself.

Deciding that losing time was a better option than losing her life, she started retreating very quietly. 

Her happiness was gone, and she was walking feeling desolate, knowing that it was going to be difficult to recover from this. 

The same tree with the stupid knot that looked like a grandpa. The same clutter of garbage where she thought she had found bullets that turned out to be strange animal droppings…

After a couple of hours, her mouth was curled downwards and the rain that was now falling didn't help to improve her mood.

“The road sign should be near, this time I’ll take the trail on the left…”

The sound of gunfire and explosions startled her.

“That’s no rain… nor thunder”

It was something else. Humans?

She ran the rest of the road, towards the sounds that were getting closer. And then she heard yelling.

“Over there! Runner!”

She was hiding behind a big tree and saw infected attacking a small group of people. And not just any people, they were Wolves.

One of the creatures grabbed a guy and he was having trouble getting free. The head of the runner exploded from a shot and he stepped back in a hurry, getting next to the others with shaky hands.

Whitney had her gun out, she had shot without thinking twice and now was regretting it.

The attack ended with the guys finishing off the rest of the creatures.

“Someone shot from the trees!”

Whitney felt adrenaline pumping again and she was about to hide, but decided that wouldn't be too wise, so she slowly got out of her hideout with her hands in the air.

“Hi guys… don't shoot”

“Whitney? Holy shit! How the fuck are you here?”

“What is it?” A man’s voice came from behind them.

The guys moved and Whitney saw a big guy coming through.

“Don’t tell me, you deserted too” he said with a smirk that made her feel uncomfortable.

“Yeah… you know, it’s just not the same now”

“And no one stopped you?” 

“I didn’t think they’d care. Everyone’s just too cranky or worried, so I thought I better try my luck somewhere else” 

She didn't like the tone he was using, there was too much Wolf pride on it.

“See? What did I tell you? The Wolves are over” one of the guys said out loud.

“I don’t believe it. Of course we’re gonna lose some members, but we’re still strong” the big guy said to his back.

“Have you seen Abby?” one of them asked anxiously.

“Not at all. D’you think she could be around?” Whitney said looking as if she could be hiding behind a tree, and immediately scolded herself for that childish action.

The big guy named Mark squinted his eyes very discreetly, and she didn't notice it.

“So? Wanna join us?” the guy she had saved asked her.

“What are you doing?” she said examining the group.

“Looking for Abby, of course”

“Right. I don't know, I’m not really interested in that… but thanks”

“It’s ok. Do you need anything?” Mark asked her in a neutral tone now.

“Some food would be nice” she said a little sheepishly.

The guys immediately checked their bags and shared a few rations.

“Can I ask where you’re going?” Mark said as he passed her a bottle of water.

“I don't know… I was dealing with my personal shit when I found you”

“Sure you don't wanna come?”

“Yeah, I’m just not the vindictive type”

“I see”

She was eating in silence and saw them talking in hushed voices. There was something wrong. Maybe she shouldn't have made contact. These supplies were just what she needed to go on, but what was the cost?

“ _Now I’ll have to make an even bigger detour_ ” she thought, her stomach immediately showing signs of being affected by all of the anxiety.

“Alright guys, thank you so much for the help”

“You’re going right now?”

“Yeah, I’m hoping to find some shelter before nightfall, cause I really don’t wanna spend another night in the open”

“Seriously Whit, come with us”

She just smiled and shook her head.

“There’s a lot I need to figure out, and this seems like the perfect opportunity. I’ll come by for a visit once I’m done”

“Sounds nice, we’ll be waiting for you” 

“Take this” Mark threw her a little bag.

She looked at it and her eyes widened with excitement. It was a waterproof blanket.

“Thanks! Just what I needed” she waved goodbye and started going away with a frown that was hidden from view.

Walking alone after meeting people felt weird. She kept looking back, staring at every shadow.

What was that uneasiness she felt back then?

There was nothing that could connect her to Abby, or at least she thought so. She was wrecking her brains trying to remember any detail she may have missed, and kept returning to that “looking around” thing she had done.

“So stupid, I should’ve just stayed quiet” she said in a whisper, still not sure if she was being cautious or just paranoid.

The empty cars offered no hope of finding something useful. She had been checking only the ones that had their windows intact. 

A police car was on one side of the road and she saw that the driver was still inside. She grabbed a wooden stick and tapped the window. It didn't move.

“Ok… let’s see”

She opened the door and the head fell and rolled at her feet, the rest of the body was tightly secured with the safety belt.

“Damn… that’s something you don't see everyday”

There was a perfectly functioning shotgun, and a box filled with ammo for it. She found a couple of snacks in the glove box, but the smell alone was enough deterrent.

The weight of her new gun was reassuring and she felt stronger and ready to go.

With a last look back to make sure she wasn't being followed, she continued her lonely journey. Hoping for the first time that it stayed that way.


	51. “Let me tell you”

The resort was a huge establishment, and every corner of it was heavily guarded. Men with bulletproof vests and machine guns were in charge of securing the area and they were ruthless when it came to doing their job.

Nora had seen only a small part of this place and she hadn’t found one good thing to say about it.

She was working side by side with Lily, who was now her designated partner. That was ok for Nora, because despite being weak and depressed, she was an excellent companion.

She talked a lot when Nora needed to be distracted, which actually made the chores a lot better. And then she didn't talk at all when she noticed her having a bad day.

“How long have you been here?” Lily asked her with the hope of lightening the mood, since they were facing what looked like a titanic task.

Nora considered her answer for a second.

“It’s hard to tell, a little more than a week, I think” she said with a frown.

“You look so used to this, I thought you’d been here longer”

“I’m not sure how to take that…”

“These guys, what are they up to?”

“I still don't know, but it’s better to stay calm around them. They seem to enjoy torturing people, and they don't need an excuse for it”

“Noted”

They were the only ones in charge of washing the dishes, glasses, and the sporadic cutlery for over fifty soldiers. They grabbed the dirty things from the huge and old bathtub they used for that reason.

“Don't let them see you grabbing food”

“Why?” Lily said in a tone that implied she was about to do exactly that.

“D’you really wanna know?”

“I guess I don't. So what? They just threw it away?”

“No, it’s for the animals”

“Animals?”

“Shh…”

Lily had spoken too loud and Nora was worried, they weren't supposed to know that. She had heard this from Ted and the other guys.

They continued with their task in silence and she saw one of her friends passing by with a defeated look on his face.

“ _Was that… Steve?_ ” he looked so different that she wasn't sure.

Hours went by lazily and she felt as if being trapped in a place with a special time zone. And the worst part was that there was nothing she could do about it. 

Her mind started to wander and she thought about Whitney, who must be in Jackson by now. Or in the safe house.

She pictured it on her mental map, confident that she knew exactly how to get there. 

“ _The problem is getting out of this fucking place_ ”

But that was impossible and she was starting to get desperate again. She wondered how long it would take Whitney to realize she wasn't coming.

Weeks? Months? They never established a time limit…

“ _Stop that_ ” she said to herself, shooing away the dark clouds that had been forming above her head.

Nobody noticed this flow of emotions. Lily was too busy ignoring the food scraps she was forced to put away for the animals.

The Rattlers must have had a very good day, because they left them a particularly big ration of food for each.

They tried to finish soon so they could eat, but it was impossible with the never ending flow of dirty things to wash.

“Alright! That’s it!” a man’s voice yelled from the door.

The women looked up and saw him coming their way.

“Go”

“Food” Nora said pointing to their portions.

“Not your turn” he said with a smirk.

Nora was about to beg, but he laughed and grabbed the bowls with food and gave them to her.

“Now go”

They didn't have to be told twice and went straight to the back, where the weaks were eating leftovers.

“ _Are those_ _tomatoes_?” Lily asked in a whisper.

“They are, but these must be rotten or something. They never leave something that good for us”

Lily licked her lips as she grabbed one that looked especially delicious, and bit it thinking that she would love it either way.

It was so bitter that she had to spit it. Nora spotted a couple of Rattlers laughing at her partner, and one of them seemed to have lost a bet.

“ _Disgusting_ ” she thought.

She sat next to Lily, who started devouring her portion and stopped only when she ate the last grain of rice. It wasn’t much, and they were fearing that this was the last meal of the day.

“Alright worms! I got an opening. Who’s…”

Nora’s hand was in the air before he could finish the sentence. But so was the hand of a man that was nearer him. The Rattler smiled and signaled the guy to come, ignoring Nora.

“Always the same” she said with a sour face.

“What do they do?” Lily asked, looking at them going away.

“I don’t know” Nora said with honesty.

“And you still wanna go?”

“They get more food”

“Oh”

The look on their faces was so grim that it matched the sad dining area they were in. They stood up and went different ways, their resting time was too short and they had to make the best out of it.

Nora stopped at the threshold. She was exhausted and now a little drowsy. She closed her eyes and thought about her friends, trying to recall their voices too, and then realized with a pang of fear that they were slowly, but inevitably, fading away.

As if that wasn't enough to crush her spirits, Bear also came to mind. They weren't together for long, but she had come to love him during those happy days. Her hand clenched in a fist at the memory of his dead body.

She went outside and was surprised to see a dog walking around. 

“ _Oh man… you gotta be kidding me_ ”

The dog wasn't exactly like Bear, but he looked as playful as he had been.

“Hey! One of the dogs got loose!” a man’s voice was heard over the racket of the camp.

“Get it to the kennel then!” someone answered.

“That’s not my fucking job! _You_ over there!”

“ _No, please…_ ” Nora thought and tried to ignore him, she really needed to rest.

“Don’t make me go over there” the man’s voice was getting deeper.

“Me?” she said, already going his way.

“Yeah, stupid. Come here”

She was reaching him when he pushed her towards the oblivious animal.

“Get that dog to the kennel”

“Where’s that?” 

“Follow this road till the end”

She just nodded and approached the animal. 

“Come boy, let’s get you home”

The man stood there, following her with his eyes.

“ _Yeah, I know… I won’t try to escape_ ”

Nora followed the road to the kennel and after the first turn, she spotted Lily staring at the perimeter fence.

“ _Lily!_ ”

“Nora, what are you doing?” she said in a quick fashion, clearly startled.

“Don't let them catch you doing that” Nora said in a hushed voice filled with fear.

Lily shivered at her words, and shook her head in defeat.

“I just…”

“I know, but trust me, you don’t wanna be caught doing that”

Lily nodded and Nora understood what she had meant before. She really talked like someone who had been here for a very long time. Was it truly a week? Or more? She doubted, but didn't dwell on that useless thought.

“Can I go with you?”

“I guess”

The kennel was a big place, and their stomachs ached when the smell of roasted meat reached their nostrils.

A man was crafting some kind of wooden weapon. His trousers were so worn out and his shirt was so dirty that he looked like he had just arrived, after living alone in the wild for months.

“Just in time for dinner! Thanks girls” he said with the first honest smile they had seen so far.

He left the things he was using and grabbed the dog, who greeted him as an old friend.

“Sure” Nora said, trying to ignore the emptiness in the pit of her stomach.

“You look hungry” he said and suddenly had a weird look on his face.

“ _Sorrow?_ ” Nora thought, but she could be wrong. She could not let her guard down.

“Were you followed?”

“Who knows?”

He looked around as if trying to make sure they were alone.

“Alright, come with me. I won’t tell if you don't”

The women started following him without objection. He looked nice, but he was still a Rattler.

“These guys eat a lot” he said, caressing the dog’s head and looking at them in a way that made Nora feel uneasy.

“ _Oh, please… don't be one of those guys_ ' she thought, already expecting the worst.

They got to a sort of kitchen area, where a fire was burning and a huge pot with bones was surrounded by small pieces of meat that were roasting. It had been so long since their last real meal, that they were already salivating.

“I’m gonna need something in return for this food, though”

“ _Here it comes_ ” Nora thought, biting her lip.

“Sorry. That sounded weird… I just need a massage” he said with a hand behind his neck.

“A massage?” Lily asked, surprised.

“Yeah, you see… it’s my back, it’s killing me!”

“We’re not supposed to help others” Nora said as if repeating an oath.

“Yeah, and I’m not supposed to give you food, right?” he said with a wink and she couldn't help but mirror his smile.

Half an hour later they left the place with full stomachs, and the dog sitter was having the best nap of his life. They had both worked on his back until he couldn't take anymore.

“ _Come back when you can, we can supply each other’s needs_ ” the guy waved goodbye, and his face only showed honesty and disposition.

Nora wondered how a man like that could stand the horrors of this place.

“ _Maybe he doesn't know_ ” she laughed at that naive thought. Of course he knew.

Each week they tried to find an excuse to go to the kennels, and so far they have been lucky. 

Arnold, that was his name, was a very decent man. They didn't have much time to talk, but this weekly visit was like a shot of energy and it really improved their mood. 

Lily always picked up her food and ate in a corner, looking at the dogs playing, while Nora stayed massaging his back.

She had noticed the spinal deformity so characteristic of scoliosis the very first day. He needed special exercises, but as he said one day, there was no way he could get to do something like that. Not with these guys.

“They kicked an old guy to death the other day, just because he started limping overnight” he said, clearly upset.

Rattlers were disgusting. They were against everything she believed, and she hoped with all her might that they got killed, defeated or wiped out. All but Arnold.

She looked at him and felt a jolt of excitement that had nothing to do with the food she was enjoying.

  
  


“Let’s stay for a couple of days”

“What?” Ellie turned to look at Abby so fast that her neck made a weird sound.

“You serious?” she asked, rubbing it.

“Yeah. I mean, we’re fairly safe, right?”

Ellie nodded with her smile widening. 

“We could wait for Nora and Whitney here, instead of Jackson” Abby continued.

“We definitely could”

They smiled at each other and heard movement inside the house.

“D’you think they’ll want to?”

“Let’s go ask them” Abby said with a beautiful smile.

Lev and Yara’s eyes darted towards the opening door.

“Good morning!” Abby said and they greeted back.

Soon they were having a very nice breakfast with the leftovers from last night’s dinner, and listened to Yara’s dream about a horse that could fly like a bird.

“When are we leaving?” Lev asked as soon as she finished.

“D’you wanna stay here a little longer?”

“Can we?”

Abby and Ellie looked at each other and then at him. He was so expectant that it was almost funny, and Yara was in a very similar state.

“We were just talking about it. What do you say if we wait for Nora and Whitney here?” Abby said.

“Yeah!” both of them cheered.

“Only for a couple of days though, this is safe, but Jackson is better” Ellie added promptly.

They spent the rest of the day cleaning and making everything more comfortable for a longer stay.

“Who wrote this?” Yara asked reading the ledger Ellie had left open.

“Jesse”

“Your friend Jesse?”

“Yeah”

“What are all these?” Yara asked, showing her the annotations.

“Let me tell you” Ellie said, leading her to the couch.

They were so happy right now, that it seemed strange. And Ellie experienced one of those rare moments where everything seems to be perfect.

Whitney was in trouble. She was so worried that she was being followed, that her mind started playing tricks on her.

She turned fast when she heard footsteps, but it was only a rabbit that had fled when it saw her.

Then, a dried out branch fell right behind her when she was tying her shoelaces, and she thought she was having a heart attack.

“Stop it!” she yelled to nature, to the animals and to her mind.

The day went by slow, because she kept looking back. It was so tiresome that when she got to a small town, she decided that this was not going to work. She had still a long way to go, and time was essential.

The place was empty, and that was both good and bad. There were no creatures or people around, and also literally nothing to scavenge. 

She kept looking back every chance she had. She just had to know if someone was following her. With that thought in mind, she decided to hide in an abandoned bar and wait.

“Just hurry the fuck up!” she thought as she established her little hideout.

Hours passed by and she was getting nervous. She couldn’t spend the night there, could she? 

If she moved now, all the time invested in this little operation would be wasted.

As night fell, the temperature started to drop drastically. It was freezing, and she was in a spot that wasn’t exactly safe.

She bit her lip and took out the waterproof blanket. A shiny little object fell from the bag it came from. It was a whistle.

“What on earth are you doing here?” she looked at it and put it away, thinking that it was the last thing she would use.

“Please, no rain tonight” she said crossing her fingers.

No one seemed to be coming this way, and she fell asleep looking through the sight of her gun.

“Shit” she said the minute she woke up. 

It was morning, and she was scolding herself for not being able to hold up.

“So fucking weak… I’ve stayed all night playing before! Can’t believe I failed… it was just one fucking night” she was shaking her legs and arms to infuse some heat and energy.

It was a very cold place with a very hard floor, and she wasn't sorry for leaving. The sun was shining, but didn’t exactly warm her.

She walked away checking her surroundings. There were no footprints nearby.

“Damn it. This may be too good, or too bad”

The absence of other people suddenly made her feel more lonely than ever before. She couldn't trust anyone else, except her friends. And one of her friends was captive right now.

“Nora…”

Her next steps were more decisive, and she stopped looking back.

“ _Come on, I know you’ll make a mistake sooner or later, you have to_ ”

She was confident when she left that town and entered the woods again. A couple of hours later she saw a clearance ahead. There was something large and shiny in the middle.

“That can't be a rock”

Curiosity won, and she found herself looking at one of the smoothest rocks she had ever seen. It was so perfect, that looked odd.

The sun had been heating it, and when Whitney touched it, she felt a nice warmth coming from it.

“Alright, let’s charge some vitamins” she gave herself permission to rest for a minute.

The rock was hot, and she could feel the heat traveling through her cold body. It felt so nice.

“Shit… I can’t fall asleep here”

Her heart was racing fast, she knew she had been seconds away from falling into a very deep sleep. She was stretching her whole body when she looked at the tree nearby. A squirrel was standing still on a branch, looking at her.

“Do I know you?”

The squirrel didn't leave. It just kept staring at her.

“You look like you’re having fun… And a nice meal” she said chuckling at its puffy cheeks.

She stood up and gathered her things. The little animal was still there, and Whitney grabbed her gun, but when she turned, she found a couple of eyes shining bright at her… she couldn't do it.

“Damn it… you’re too fucking cute”

She put her gun away, and started walking. The squirrel ran among the branches, without losing sight of her.

“Maybe you’re the one following me” she stopped, and the little thing stopped too.

“I don’t have any food for you… or for me” she said apologetically.

She kept going without counting steps, trees or anything. She was too focused on reaching a safe spot, and the feeling that she was being watched was exhausting.

For a second she considered the idea of taking out her gun and shooting around to reveal any potential threat. But she didn't have enough ammo to do something like that.

“And who knows what might hear me” she shivered at the possibility of creatures roaming around… or living animals with claws and big teeth, like a bear.

She looked back for the last time and resumed her journey, and smiled when she noticed a brown and blurry little thing jumping from tree to tree a few feet away from her.


	52. “This should be interesting”

Abby was barely on sight, working on a surprise for the kids. She told Ellie about it and left her in charge of stopping them from coming close. 

She could see them shooting curious glances at her, which made her task even more rewarding.

“You really don't know?” Lev asked Ellie one more time.

“Lev” she looked at him with a _“Please, stop”_ face and he sighed.

The guitar had been a distraction for only a little while, he was too excited to be sitting. 

He started walking in circles again, clearly unable to let go of such a mystery. 

Abby had been in that spot for hours and he could hear her cutting wood, hammering here and there and cursing.

Yara was anxiously waiting for Ellie to finish the final examination on her arm. She wanted to climb a tree, shoot an arrow, run or do anything that involved feeling free of the sling.

“Looks good. The wound healed perfectly and I can see you have full mobility”

“I do, it feels great” she said, moving her arm as instructed since day one.

“I’m glad I could help”

“Thank you, Ellie”

She saw her standing up in less than a second.

“What now?”

“Warm up”

She complied and Ellie admired her commitment, and the restraint she was showing.

“You're doing great” she said after a while.

“What now?”

“Now we can do whatever you want”

“Seriously?”

“Seriously”

Yara was considering her options when she was interrupted by Abby’s voice.

“I’m done! You can come now” she said out loud and waved at them.

Lev rushed to her side and they all gasped when she revealed the fruits of her labour. 

A couple of dozen wooden targets were at her feet, all with ropes and ready to be hanged. They were of different sizes, and Yara felt a special kind of excitement when she spotted the smallest ones, immediately recognizing the challenge they posed.

“Abby, these are so cool”

Lev took a few and gave some to Yara, who smiled at the rope and immediately looked around, picturing where they could be hanged.

“I guess they wanna try them ASAP” Abby said to Ellie when she saw them checking the branches and any special spot they could use.

They had little arguments about it, but they were promptly addressed and solved, giving them a kind of mature aura.

“I would be like that too” Ellie said, enjoying their little quest.

“How’s she doing?” Abby asked, looking at Yara jumping and grabbing a branch, only to release it with a nod.

“She’s great. I could tell that she wanted to do something more… challenging” Ellie said with a chuckle.

“This should be interesting” 

They saw her picking up a little black thing from the ground and showing it to Lev, whose eyes widened. Apparently it was a very pleasant surprise, and they started looking together for more of whatever that was.

“Can we draw on them?” Yara asked with a voice that couldn't quite hide the emotion.

“Be my guest!” Abby said, honestly excited now.

“You did a very good job” Ellie said playfully running her fingers through her braid.

“Are you drawing too?” Abby had closed her eyes for a second and now was staring at her.

“Yes, but not here” Ellie showed her the journal she had been keeping on her back.

Abby smiled and hugged her, loving every second of this closeness.

“ _Last page_ ” she whispered in her ear.

Ellie left with a grin, and a stomach that had turned into a stage for butterflies.

She told her one night that she could draw whatever she wanted in there, but she hadn't shown much interest. 

“ _Mischievous_ ”

A minute later she was sitting in a very nice spot where no one could see her blushing. And that was perfect, because her face was on fire as soon as she saw what was on that last page.

“ _When did you do this?_ ” she thought as she admired Abby’s astonishingly good, and very surprising drawing. 

She feared she had been staring at it for hours and when she looked up, their eyes met across the distance.

“ _Nice_ ” she mouthed and saw how her shoulders went up and down, hiding a laugh.

She turned to a new page and her pen came to life. Her subjects were certainly having fun and she was trying hard to capture this moment.

She was drawing Abby’s outline and got lost in a memory of those arms holding her tight…

Almost an hour later, she closed her journal feeling satisfied with her work, and unconsciously started thinking where she could hang it for everyone to see.

“You should take a look at this” Abby called her.

“Perfect timing” 

She stood up and walked towards them, oblivious to what she was about to see.

“Holy shit, that’s a clicker!” she said truly amazed at the detailed face that was drawn upon the wood.

“And this is a runner” Abby showed her another one.

“I can see it! Oh man, this is freaking awesome!”

“They carved the designs and then used coal for shading” Abby told her as if sharing one of the secrets of the universe.

The awe in her voice made the kids chuckle. They were excellent at it because they had been doing art for a very long time. 

Yara was particularly good, and it showed. 

“Do you miss it?” Lev asked her.

“Sometimes” she said melancholically.

Ellie and Abby looked at each other curious, but didn’t ask.

“I used to carve a few things into trees back in our Village” Yara said and Lev exhaled a word that sounded very close to “humble”.

“She was the best” he finally said when she didn't add anything else.

“Lev!”

“You were!”

She blushed and he continued.

“You should have seen it! People from all over Haven came to see her art and learn from her. And mom…. always said that she was her pride and joy” he said fighting back the sadness.

“At least one of us was” he added in a very quiet voice.

“Lev. Don’t” Yara said holding his hand.

Abby and Ellie got closer and hugged them both.

“We love you... and we’re so fucking proud of you” Ellie said being completely honest.

“Yeah, you’re the best thing that could have ever happened to _us_ ” Abby said the last word looking at Ellie, who smiled at her with shiny eyes.

“I think Lev agrees... that we can say the same” Yara's voice was a little shaky and she looked at a sobbing Lev, who nodded with enthusiasm.

None of them wanted to end that hug, all feeling the unconditional love that surrounded them.

Ellie was the first to move. She walked looking at all of the targets they had and chuckled, then saw Lev trying to read the look on her face.

“I just thought… seeing all these together, it reminded me of that thing from the hospital”

“Oh my god Ellie, that’s so fucked up… I love it” Abby said, laughing at what she was doing.

Ellie was holding them against her body in angles that made her look extremely weird.

Lev was actually expecting to shudder, but he was surprised to see that he was far from feeling scared. 

Ellie always made everything funnier, and he laughed at her impression of the creature following him.

He shot an imaginary arrow and she threw the targets away, falling “dead” to the ground.

“Demon slayer!” Abby yelled in victory.

“Demon slayer!” Ellie repeated from the ground, holding her arms up.

“Don’t, please… he’ll get dreadful!”

They laughed at Yara’s words and started setting the targets/creatures.

Lev looked at the girls working together and smiled. They were really strong, and he could feel his body _and mind_ improving every day, perfectioning techniques and abilities, all thanks to them.

Thinking about that creature had infused some real power and confidence in him, and he had the certainty that they could overcome anything coming their way. 

Together, they were invincible.

“So, Yara. I bet you made up your mind now” Ellie asked her and looked at the targets.

Yara nodded with a smile and saw Lev already coming back with the bows and arrows she had missed so much.

They started shooting as soon as the weapons were on their hands.

Lev was frustrated because Yara kept parting his arrows.

“Are you sure you wanna destroy those?” Abby said looking at another one breaking.

“Yeah, we’re surrounded by materials! Besides, the loser gets to craft them” Yara said without taking her eyes off the target, and her arrow hit it right in the center.

Lev was red, and he shook a bit when he shot, and saw how his arrow got lost in the woods.

“We should stop. I’m fully recovered, I can feel it” she said lowering her bow.

Lev looked down in defeat as he shook her hand.

“I’m gonna help you” 

“But I lost…”

“Yeah, but you’re still my little brother” she kissed him in the cheek and he smiled.

“That was awesome” Ellie said, appreciating the targets that were attacked so fiercely.

Yara was having the time of her life. She had been tempted to let Lev win a few times, but she couldn’t do that with a clear conscience. Besides, he would probably figure it out and hate her.

They had a few arrows left and her eyes kept bolting towards the house, where she could see Abby’s weapons. Abby noticed this and went to get them before she could say anything else.

“D’you wanna try one of these?” she said leaving all of them on the ground.

“Oh, I don't know…”

“The prophet wouldn't mind” Lev said, feeling rebellious.

“It’s not that” she said, shooting arrows at him with her eyes.

“What is it then?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m just… I was thinking...” 

“Just say it!”

“Abby, can I see that?” Yara pointed to the crossbow.

“It’s my favorite! Though it may be a little heavy” Abby said as she handed it to her.

“Too much for your arm?” Ellie asked, worried.

Yara shook her head as she familiarized with the weight and feeling of the metal between her small hands.

“I wanna try it”

“Let me show you then” Abby said with the same eagerness.

Ellie saw Lev rubbing his elbow. His eyes also darted towards the guns, but he didn't say anything.

“ _This is Yara’s moment_ ” he said to himself, trying to hold the question he was so desperate to formulate.

“Lev” he was startled when he heard his name.

“What?” he asked Ellie, who just looked at him and then at the weapons.

“Which one do you like?”

She suspected the answer, and smiled when he took the rifle.

He looked sheepishly at Yara, but found her smiling and nodding at him. This was a new life for them, and they had the feeling that Abby and Ellie had been waiting for this moment.

Five minutes later they were all planning a trip.

“Lift it up” Ellie said to Lev.

The birds were singing among the tall pines that surrounded them.

Lev lifted the rifle a little reluctant.

“Alright, now, you’re gonna wanna lean right into that stock, ‘cause it's gonna kick a hell of a lot” she saw him frown at her words.

“Ok” he said, feeling a little nervous.

“Now, go ahead and pull that bolt back” she made a motion with her hands and Lev mimicked her.

“Grab it right there” she said and he complied.

“Just tug it” 

Lev successfully reloaded the rifle, feeling ecstatic.

“There you go. Now, as soon as you fire, you’re gonna want to get another round in there quick” 

He nodded taking mental notes.

“Always remember” she crouched at his side and looked straight into a pair of eyes that were paying full attention.

“When you get into trouble, every shot counts”

He looked at her and nodded, appreciating this private and intensive lesson.

“I won’t let you down” he said with a very serious face.

“Ready?” she said and he nodded ever so slightly, without moving an inch.

“Shoot!”

The gunshot echoed around the mountains, and Lev was rubbing his shoulder.

“I know what you mean, it was like a punch!”

“You’ll get the hang of it. The more you work on it, the easier it will get” 

He looked a little discouraged for failing, but Ellie went on.

“Trust me Lev, you’ll know it’s there next time. Eventually you’ll adapt to the point where you’ll rarely notice it, and it will become second nature to you”

He nodded and looked at the gun.

“Hey, that was awesome for a first try! What are you waiting for now?” she asked him and his face brightened again.

She was so happy to be showing him everything Tommy taught her some time ago.

Lev was ready and looked at her without moving.

“Go”

This time, the gunshot seemed to have reached its destination, because he yelled so loud that his voice echoed all around.

He covered his mouth with his hand, and happiness was replaced by fear in a second. His knuckles were white because he was grabbing the rifle so hard.

“Come here”

He relaxed and left the weapon on the ground, then walked towards her. 

“You ok?” she said, putting her hands on his shoulders.

“Yeah, I shouldn't have yelled”

“It was worth it. Besides, we’re good here, and if anything happens, we’ll do what we discussed the other day. Right?”

“Yes, yeah!” he said, feeling a lot better.

“ _That’s my boy_ ” that thought came unexpectedly and she was happily surprised at how good it felt.

She saw him putting his hand on his forehead to cover the sun and look for his target, which was an old can that could be seen shining from afar.

“Did you get it?” Ellie asked.

“See for yourself”

He was looking so self-satisfied that she chuckled. She peered through the sight, but couldn’t find it.

“It’s not there”

“Of course not, I killed it”

“Lev... demon and can slayer!”

He laughed and then adopted his newfound smug look again.

“Don’t let it get to your head though, no one likes a smart-ass”

“Smart… ass” he laughed so hard this time that Ellie joined him.

Abby and Yara were on the other side of the small hill and heard a gunshot, followed by Lev’s yells of victory.

“We should tell Ellie she shouldn't praise him too much”

Abby chuckled. She had the crossbow in her hands and, for the millionth time, she checked that everything was ok.

“I’ll ask again, are you really sure about this?” 

“Abby, please”

“Ok! Just checking”

She kneeled and aimed. The familiar weight of her weapon was like an old friend and she felt extremely comfortable with it.

“You wanna hold it like this” she said showing her the recommended posture.

Yara nodded and mimicked her.

“Hold that position” Abby said and stood up.

Yara was frozen and looked at her walking behind her back. She handed her the crossbow as if adding the last piece of a jigsaw.

“You can use your knees to play with the weight” she said standing a little apart to watch her.

“I can see, similar to the bow. You need to be conscious of your whole body”

“Yeah. Speaking of that, your fingers. You have to be aware of where they are at all times, you don't want that kind of accident”

“I see, thanks”

“Whenever you feel like it”

“Shoot?” Yara asked, suddenly nervous.

“That’s why we’re here, right?” Abby said with a confident smile.

Yara nodded and looked through the sight. She was impressed with how clear and close she could see the things that were really far, and smiled at the thought of Lev experiencing something similar.

She chose her first target, and checked that she would still have all of her fingers after shooting.

The arrow flew away so fast and straight that her jaw dropped.

“Impressive...”

“I know, right?” Abby said with a smirk.

“Again!” she added, anxious to see her next moves.

The grin on Yara’s face was unforgettable and they stopped only when there were no more arrows to shoot.

“I’ll go look for them”

“No, _we’ll_ go look for them. It’s never safe to wander alone”

Yara nodded and then smiled when she felt Abby’s pat on the back.

“You were incredible. I’m not sure, but I think you hit every target”

“I may have” Yara said without looking at her, but knowing perfectly well that she did.

The road to the arrows was gorgeous. There was a stream of water surrounded by wildflowers. Colorful bugs hid at the sound of their steps and the leaves of certain plants reacted to their touch.

“Got one!” Yara said, taking an arrow from the knot of a tree.

Abby slowly and silently walked towards it, speechless. The knot was too small to have been her target. She saw her going after the next one without giving it much importance.

“Were you…?” her question was lost in the air when she saw her climbing again to retrieve an arrow that had impaled a yellow leaf among green ones.

“ _No way…_ ”

“Careful!” Yara yelled as she threw it down.

Abby picked it up and went to see the next one. It had come through a hole in a fallen tree. The next one was between two small rocks.

“Yara, how did you do it?”

“I aimed and shot”

Abby looked from the mark left by the arrow to the spot where they had been.

“No way… How?”

“I guess I can see where I want it to be, and then do my best to achieve that”

Abby smiled. She saw her happily gathering the rest of the arrows from their impossible targets.

“I mean, we all do that, but I’ve never seen someone excel at it like you”

“What?” Yara said when she got closer to her.

“You’re amazing”

“I’m just careful” Yara said, waving her hand, though her pink cheeks betrayed her.

“Amazingly careful”

“Stop it!”

“I know you don't like being praised, but damn, you seriously deserve it”

“Don't tell Lev”

“I don't think I have to”

Abby’s smirk made her laugh and they started going back to the house. Another gunshot was heard, and they looked back just in time to see a flock of birds flying away.

“Won’t demons come with this noise?”

“Probably”

Yara blanched and Abby laughed.

“It’s always a possibility, yes, but this place is really good. Remember what we talked about in case they decide to pay a visit”

Yara looked more confident.

“And besides, that could be the perfect opportunity to use this” Abby said, moving the shoulder that was holding the crossbow, and that totally changed her attitude.

Ellie and Lev were heading back after a very successful session. They got to the house and found Abby and Yara shooting at the targets.

“Why did you start without us!” he asked Yara, who answered without looking at him.

“Don’t be greedy, Lev. You know that’s bad”

He waved his hand dismissively and beamed when he saw the arrows.

“You made some!” he said awestruck.

They talked a bit about their experiences with the old world weapons and soon they were shooting Yara’s new arrows together.

“Did you help with those?” Ellie asked Abby, impressed. 

She nodded and chortled.

“You were gone for a very long time” Abby said almost in an accusatory manner.

“Yeah, sorry ‘bout that, we got lost in the moment” Ellie said playing with the strap of the rifle.

“How did it go?” Abby asked her, looking at the kids. 

“He’s a natural” Ellie said looking at them too.

“Wait till you hear about Yara” Abby said in a low voice, since Lev was losing again.

“Maybe that would take the smug look on your fac…” Yara was saying when she was interrupted.

“Ouch! WTF!” Ellie exclaimed all of the sudden, and three people rushed to her side.

“What is it?”

“Are you ok?”

“What happened?”

This flow of questions made her feel really good and thought that she couldn't ask for anything else.

“I think something bit me” she said, rolling up her pant leg.

“That’s a beautiful scar” Abby said when she noticed one on her knee.

“I love scars” Ellie said with a smile and Lev and Yara shared a special look.

“What was it?” Abby asked, and they all noticed the concern in her voice.

“I think… this… is… it!”

Ellie had grabbed a bug from the rolled pants.

“Look at this little fucker!” she showed them a small bug that was black and with an oval, elongated shape.

“Ugh, I know these. They’re not dangerous… What was their name?” Abby was thinking hard, but now completely relieved.

“I bet it’s a nasty one, that bite was hard” Ellie was caressing the now pink and swollen spot.

“It’ll pass soon” Abby said, tousling her hair.

A little later they were all having something to eat and Abby suddenly did something that made them all jump.

“Masked hunter!” she yelled, finally recalling the bug’s name.

They all laughed and started picking up the things that had flown away with her scream.

“You’re really something” Ellie said to her.

“Yeah? Then you’re really something else” Abby answered.

“You’re both something else” Yara said and Lev nodded in agreement, making them laugh one more time.

Ellie pressed her stomach, thinking that she had laughed more with these kids than she had in her entire life.

And that really was something.


	53. “Surviving”

Nora had been working on the kennel with Arnold and Lily for some time now, and their lives had improved a great deal since they met. There was a nice harmony between them, and food in exchange for some pain relief was the best deal Nora could have ever found in that place.

But all that changed the second a soldier came running to their so far safe place. 

“Dogs!”

Being in the kennel one would think that it was a very common word, with almost no effect. But the message was clear, something bad was going on, because the only time they called for dogs in that fashion was when someone tried to escape.

Nora’s eyes darted towards Lily and sighed with relief when she saw her doing the usual task of cleaning the dog’s shit.

“You two, take them dogs and follow me, NOW!”

She looked at Arnold, who averted his eyes from her and took a couple of dogs. He told her to do the same, and soon she was part of the search team. 

“Got dogs!” the soldier yelled and snatched the leash from Arnold’s hand, pushing the dog harder than necessary.

Seeing this awakened a very strong feeling deep inside of Nora, and she had to make use of all of her inner strength to stop it from showing. 

Soon the other dogs were taken from them, and she wished them good luck. To the dogs, because the Rattlers could go to hell itself for all she cared.

There was a woman in charge of this small patrol. She was fierce and her voice could be clearly heard across the distance, giving orders.

Nora was starting to head back, but she felt a tug on her sleeve.

“ _You can't go_ ” Arnold whispered and she noticed that he was trying to say this without the others noticing.

She followed them from a safe distance, and her heart started to beat faster when she saw the gates opening. She was going outside. 

They immediately spread out to look for any sign of the stray, and her eyes unconsciously started to follow the dogs that were sniffing around, triggering flashbacks of her life in the W.L.F. post. And she let them fill her mind.

_The sun was shining and she dried the sweat out of her face with her new wristband. One of the soldiers she healed gave it to her as a token of appreciation. The battle was fierce and they had lost too many members to count it as a victory. Scars had been attacking the area, and they were getting nearer each time._

_And now Abby was missing. The patrollers saw her surrounded and waiting for an opportunity to attack. She had told them to leave her behind, insisted on it, and they did._

_“Why the fuck did you leave her alone?”_

_“She insisted”_

_Nora couldn't believe what she was hearing from the defeated men, and they all looked at the search team coming back without news, again._

_“Where the fuck are you?” she thought, frowning at the horizon._

_Abby was one of the most successful killers in the base and Nora knew perfectly well why. She knew the reason behind every punch, every bullet and every life she took. And she had decided to walk that road right at her side._

_“No regrets” was her personal motto._

_The violence shown by her friend was always a shock for the ones that were new to her squad, and she had earned some serious fame among the soldiers._

_“It’s Abby!”_

_Her friend was making a triumphant entrance with her whole body covered in blood and not a single bullet left. The respect she infused was something Nora had always admired, and when they walked together, people looked at her differently. She was part of Abby’s elite group._

Her mental oasis ended when she was abruptly taken back to her new reality with a loud yell, and for once she was happy about it, because it had been right when the faces of the other members of that elite group menaced to appear, and she knew she wouldn't be able to handle that right now.

“Over there! Aim for his legs! I want him alive!” the woman’s voice was filled with fury.

“I won’t go back!”

A man was looking wildly at the people that were aiming their guns at him, and they shot him in the legs without any warning.

“I won’t go back!” he yelled, taking out something shiny from under his shirt.

“Is that a gun? He’s got a gun!”

“I won’t go back!” he screamed at the top of his lungs and shot himself before they got any closer.

“God damn it!”

“How the fuck did he get a gun? Tell the others to search the area. Make sure he’s the only one that got out. And watch out for infected!” the woman was furious, and they split to search the area.

“If I found out anyone helped him, they’re going in the fucking pool!” she added as she stood up in a high spot.

“He was acting out for a while. This is the third this month. You ready to put more people on the gate?” one of the guys asked her as he joined the search.

“People on the gate need to do their fucking jobs. Go look around, I wanna know he was alone”

“Your dog onto something?”

“Think we’re good. Let’s go girl” he said to the dog.

Nora was still in shock. That guy had preferred death over being in this place, and somehow the image of the radio she had been so eager to try a while back crossed her mind.

“ _Fireflies_ ”

That word sounded like a myth now. It had been so long since she was part of that group, and this place was so hard on the living, that her memories started to get fuzzy.

But that was something she would never forget. They had found the Fireflies last known hideout, and there was a radio there. There was still hope.

She was rooted to her spot and saw Arnold looking at the dogs, the concern was patent in his face and despite all that was happening, or maybe because of that, she felt happy. And she lowered her guard in the worst moment.

“Hey you! What are you looking at so stupidly?”

Nora took a second too late to react and the man made the connection.

“Oh no…. no, no, no, no”

She felt as if a bucket with ice cold water had been poured over her head. The man looked from Arnold to her, did he know? What did he see? Why had she been so stupid?

“Hey guys! Come here!”

Arnold was taking the remaining dogs from the guys, completely unaware of what was happening behind his back.

“What is it?”

Nora blanched when she heard the woman’s voice. She was standing with her hands on her waist.

“Let me check something” he waited and the other guys did just that.

Arnold turned around and the Rattler punched Nora hard on her stomach. 

“Nora!” he was first red with fury and then white as a sheet, knowing that he had acted by impulse. A fatal error.

The grin on the Rattler’s face was sickening. For him, Christmas had come early this year.

“Oh, Arnie” he said, shaking his head.

“What?” Arnold was thinking fast, but couldn't find a way out for this one.

“Why do you care that much? She’s just a prisoner, right?” the guy grabbed Nora and forced her to stand again.

She was feeling her stomach burning, but had quickly and privately performed a self-check and confirmed that there was no critical damage. Yet.

“Arnold…” the man said again, and his tone was foreboding.

Arnold gulped as another guy grabbed the leashes of the dogs. He walked towards them, preparing for what was going to happen. The anticipation was almost palpable, and the look on their eyes reflected the same thought. He was going to die.

“So, how long have you been having fun, eh?”

“It’s not like that. I’m just...”

The first hit was on his right leg, and he felt how the pain of his crushing bone traveled all the way up through his body. The dogs immediately started to pull and growl, and they were quickly taken away by a couple of guys.

Arnold was hyperventilating, and Nora was forced to watch. She didn't even try to close her eyes, and she felt as if watching everything happening from afar. The only spectator of a horrible screening.

“Let me, I hated this guy since he got here”

And it showed. That guy beat him with all his might, careful not to burst any vital organ so as to prolong the torture.

They finally got tired and started to unceremoniously drag the inert body of a man whose only crime had been to show mercy. And love. 

Nora’s eyes widened when she saw the trail of blood he was leaving behind. And then, she felt her stomach turning into led when she realized they were taking him to the beach.

Apparently, no one cared that he had done such a good job training the dogs, nor that he had never got into trouble.

“ _I never thought I would end up in a place like this, and don´t get me wrong, I did try to turn things around. I just wasn’t brave enough. But now, maybe with you…_ ”

The last talk they had was stuck on repeat in Nora's mind. And each word hurt more than a dagger.

Raindrops started to fall and the faint cry of help coming from another unfortunate soul reached her ears.

The Rattlers were too excited to do things properly and one of them kicked Arnold one more time. He didn't move.

“What?”

The guy that had kicked him crouched to inspect the recipient of his hatred. With all of the hustle and the hurry to get to this place, no one had noticed that he was already gone.

No one but Nora.

She saw when it happened. And she knew she shouldn't have seen that, she should have looked away, but somehow she felt as if paying one last sign of respect. One last goodbye.

“What now?”

“Leave him”

Nora felt a couple of big hands turning her around and pushing her towards the road they came from. She felt as if walking on foam, and couldn't really physically feel her body.

“ _What the hell am I doing?_ ”

“ _Surviving_ ”

Her internal dialogue continued, infusing some strength into her battered soul. She feared she was going to lose her mind, but she was still alive. And that had to mean something.

Lily was waiting for her partners and blanched when she saw the group of people that was arriving. And then she saw the look on her friend’s face. That wasn’t Nora… 

“Now… what do we do with you?”

Nora was pushed to the ground, where a kick soon found her. The pain was almost welcome, and feeling it in her body was better than the pain she was feeling inside.

“So, seducing soldiers ah?”

Nora spat some blood on the ground and tried to look as submissive as possible. She hadn’t had energy for anything else.

“You know what happens now. But we’ll make this lesson even more interesting”

She saw them grabbing Lily and taking her away.

“What…?”

“Shut up. You don't talk unless we ask you to”

Nora wanted them to kick her again, or punch her, or do anything that would distract her from the deep abyss of despair she was falling into.

“You’ll sleep here with the dogs, just like the little bitch you are”

The woman opened a small kennel with a horrible smirk and told her to go inside. Nora stood up very slowly, and she almost relished the strong kick she got.

“Hurry the fuck up”

Once she was inside, the woman closed the gate, locked it and put the key in her pocket.

“Stay” she said and turned around, joining her group.

Lily was taken away, destination unknown. 

Nora saw her new partner walking in circles, noticing that she was doing exactly the same thing, trying to find some comfort in the pain.

She looked around and a knot form in her throat when she saw that the dogs noticed Arnold’s absence. He would never take care of them again, never play with them again...

And when one of them started to howl, she couldn't take it anymore. She fell to the ground, grabbed her knees and started crying her heart out.

She had lost him, and she didn't even have the chance to say all she wanted to say. And now they took Lily… she had to force herself not to dwell in the possible scenarios for her dear friend.

She fell asleep with a face wet from the tears and with her hand holding onto the fence, slightly touching the hair of the dog that was lying on the cage next to her. 

Silence. The dogs were all quiet now, paying attention to any sound that would mean the return of their caretaker, without knowing that it was going to be a wait that would never end.

Days went by and Lily hopelessly saw how Nora was getting too far to reach. She hadn't been the same since the incident and Lily was finding it hard to comfort her. Or get a real answer to her questions. And she didn't even notice when her “room” was mysteriously upgraded.

And that was exhausting, and heartbreaking.

After Arnold’s murder and as a sort of punishment for Nora’s nerve, they had cut down their rations of food to the minimum. And that had been very hard for Lily. Too hard.

The task they were doing today was washing dirty socks. Hundreds of them.

Nora listened to Lily, but the words had no meaning. She saw her finishing sooner than usual and saying goodbye by putting a hand on her shoulder, and it was just then when she noticed the bracelet she was wearing.

She grabbed her hand before she took it out and Lily was astonished. This was the first sign that she was still there.

“Why?”

“Nora…”

“Why?”

“I just…”

Nora was about to cry, but Lily had to go. She took out a little package from one of her pockets and gave it to her, forcing her hand open so that she would let her go.

Nora felt the weight on her pocket and unconsciously put a hand on top to cover it from prying eyes. She saw Lily walking purposely towards a soldier that was waiting for her, and who patted her butt with a nasty look. They turned around the corner and out of her sight.

“Oh Lily… I’m so sorry…”

Nora couldn't help feeling guilty. She should have listened to her. She should have been there for her… she should have stopped them when they grabbed Arnold.

“ _No_ ”

His name was taboo, and she splashed her face with some water before leaving for her bed. It was time to rest, and right now that was the only thing she needed to do in this sad world.

  
  


“ _NO!_ ” 

Whitney woke up from a very vivid nightmare that involved dogs and creatures reaching her.

She was too shaken to go back to sleep, so she grudgingly got up and started her day. It had been a very cold night and she was having mixed feelings about her blanket. 

On the one hand, it had protected her from the cold and that was something that really made nights bearable. On the other hand, it had been a present from those guys, the ones that were probably following her right now.

She walked towards the misted up window and ran her hand through it. It was still dark outside, and she shivered at the thought of people waiting in the cold shadows just to see what she was going to do now. People that were on a mission, and that Mark guy didn't look like a quitter.

She turned over the contents of her backpack in the middle of the room and sat cross-legged facing them, with the hope of easing her mind on the simple task of cleaning what must be years of crumbs and garbage.

Her portable game was perfectly safe in the special bag she had made for it, and which she always showed off about whenever the chance presented. She took it out and pressed the button, her reflection was the only thing she could see in that black mirror, and she started making the sounds it would make if it were turned on. She chuckled and then put it away with a sigh.

“You’re gonna have to wait a little longer, _just hang in there_ ” she said both to the device she was so carefully storing and to the person that must be waiting for a miracle by now.

The only food she had left were a couple of cans and some wild berries she found on the road.

“What’s this?” she picked up a little package that was wrapped in aluminum foil, and then couldn't help but shed some tears when she recognized Nora’s handwriting.

“ _For emergencies_ ”

Whitney knew that she had been trying Mel’s chocolate recipe, and by the looks of it, she had succeeded. Along that extremely unexpected present there was a handful of assorted nuts. 

“Oh Nora… when did you put these here?”

She took a very small bite of the chocolate and felt how the inside of her cheeks reacted to that strong and revitalizing taste.

The experience was too good to be true, and the horrible thought that she was only dreaming crossed her mind. But it only lasted a fraction of a second.

“Alright, let’s go nuts!” she said and put a couple in her pocket in case she spotted her furry friend again.

She was about to put one in her mouth when she had the most wonderful idea.

“Holy shit… YES!”

Her hands started to move real fast and soon she was looking at the most perfect snack.

“ _Nut a la Whitney_ ” she said, finishing with a chef’s kiss.

She had put some honey on the nut, a small berry and then a few chocolate shavings to top it all. It was heaven.

“Damn, what a perfect way to start the day”

She checked her guns next. The ammo she had left was good enough for a close encounter, but it was no were near ideal in case of a bigger attack.

She walked towards a workbench and grabbed some parts that she found scattered around. The shotgun was a little rusty, but after a good cleaning and a very nice upgrade it soon became a trusty new friend. The other guns were in perfect shape, and all she had to do was to reload them. 

“Not too bad” she said looking at her backpack, now with the guns attached.

The sun was shining and she was ready to move on with all of her things as tidy as possible and her spirits higher than before. Once outside she glanced back only once, and started walking.

There was no blurry spot moving on the trees, and she looked at the improvised present in her hand.

“It would be literally nuts to do this, but…”

She bit her lip as she put some of her nuts on the ground, hoping that her little friend could see them.

“ _Good luck_ ” she whispered to the wind.

She had given less than ten steps away when she heard the particular sound of rustling leaves, and turned around with her gun aiming at nothing, but the nuts were gone and she saw a very fluffy tail disappear behind a tree.

“So selfish, didn’t even let me see that cute little face”

She pouted and continued, happy to have contributed to the sustenance of a fellow life form, however small it may be.

She had several ideas to try and catch her possible spies, but each was worse than the last.

“ _There’s got to be a way_ ”

Her mind was so busy looking for a ray of hope that her body was in a kind of auto pilot. And since Whitney’s auto pilot mode was extremely developed, her body immediately adopted a defensive position as soon as the sound of infected reached her ears.

They were a little ahead. Two runners and a clicker circling what must have been a safe post some years back. She considered her options, and was glad to see that she could kill two birds with one stone.

Bricks and bottles were her target now, and she was gathering as much as possible, leaving them across the special path she was creating.

She would need to be fast, careful and above all, invisible. If she failed, she would have a really hard time. If she succeeded, well… that would certainly make a difference.

“Alright, let’s do this”

She was crouched and in listening mode, waiting for the perfect moment. She threw the first brick to the farthest part of the road she had come from, and the creatures immediately started to search for the source of the sound that broke the silence.

When she saw they were about to disperse, she threw a bottle. They went mad and she was actually having fun.

“For the trophy!”

She rolled over and got to her first post. Two broken bottles later and with the creatures going exactly where she wanted them to go, she moved on to the next one.

She continued with this until she reached her last station, the definitive test.

She climbed on top of a container and threw bottle after bottle, in the directions she suspected other people could be hiding. The creatures were like her puppets, and she directed them at her will.

She looked at the last bottle, and since the infected had already done what she wanted them to do, she just put it in her backpack.

And waited. 

Half an hour later there were still no yells of surprise, fear or attack, and she saw with defeat that the creatures had gone idle again.

“Goddammit”

She gave up and just kept going, not even interested in taking down the infected, and just making sure that they weren't following her.

Right now she must get to Abby. She would surely know what to do. Maybe she could make up some kind of a plan on the way. Some sort of secret message… 

She looked sideways to the trees, where no squirrel was around.

“You would’ve been such an awesome messenger”

There was no hope of confirming her suspicion, and there was no time to waste either. So she just kept walking. 

The road was fairly cleared and she found herself speeding up. That had been the last time she stopped for anything other than resting or feeding. Nora was counting on her. And this attitude finally paid off two days later.

“Yes!”

A road surrounded by pine trees. She was close. Finally.


	54. “If it weren't for you”

They spent perfect days in the safe house, but the constant worry triggered by the absence of Whitney and Nora had become too unbearable to ignore.

“Maybe we could go back part of the road, maybe they need help” Ellie said looking at the road.

Abby noticed her anxiously playing with her hands, and started considering the options they had discussed so many times before.

“We’ve talked about this for how long now?” Ellie turned around and found her a lot closer than she thought she would be.

“More than a month, I think…” Abby said without taking her eyes off her.

They heard the sound of an arrow hitting a target and Lev’s yell of victory made them turn just in time to see him jumping with excitement. 

He had finally beat his sister in the smallest one and bowed at Abby and Ellie when he heard them clapping and cheering. They stopped as soon as they saw Yara, who just shrugged and waved a hand with a smile as she began picking up the arrows.

“What if…” Ellie started to say as she played with Abby’s shirt.

“ _What?_ ”

Abby looked at her with suspicion, there were too many possibilities behind those words. But she was happily surprised with what she heard next.

“What if we take a little hunting trip? Just the two of us?” she said this very fast and then blushed and looked away. 

Abby was raising an eyebrow when it hit her.

“Oh, that sounds really tempting” she said, blushing too.

“We still have some meat, but it would be nice if we can get something, especially for Nora and Whitney”

Ellie felt Abby’s gentle pull and chuckled. They stayed cuddling for a while, looking at the kids.

“Alright, let’s do it” Abby finally said.

“Awesome! Let’s go tell them”

“Wait... you mean like right now?”

“Yeah! If not now, when?”

She was right. The kids were definitely going to be fine, and they could leave the place with the certainty that they were safe.

Abby walked a little behind her eager girlfriend, trying to ignore the uneasiness that was starting to feel like a phantom menace. She tightened her braid as she always did when fear made an appearance. It was her own way of infusing some courage. 

She knew that fear was the first step towards a very dark path. She knew it, because she had been too close to experience it in the flesh.

“ _If it weren't for you_ ” her eyes were fixed on Ellie and she unconsciously scratched her earlobe with a sigh.

Yara and Lev looked at each other and she tried to hide her sudden nervousness. They were happy to be left in charge of the place, and immediately started planning their day.

Ellie was too excited to wait, and before Abby could add anything else, she was already coming back with her backpack on, carrying the other one too.

“Thanks, _babe_ ” Abby said as she took her things.

Ellie loved the look on her face when she started checking the weight of the backpack and all of its attachments. She was having the same feeling. It had been a while since they were “in the open”. And it was actually exciting.

“Ready?” Ellie asked her as soon as she stopped.

“Ready” 

“May she guide you” Yara said to them and Lev just nodded.

“Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do” Ellie said but then frowned.

“What?” Lev asked her.

“Nothing, just… be safe”

“Always” he said with a nod, putting a protective hand over Yara’s shoulder.

They shared a quick hug before their departure, along with a last minute advice.

The kids stayed in the spot as they walked away, and just before the trees got thicker, Ellie and Abby turned to wave one more time.

They returned the sign with joy and then saw them disappear in the distance.

It had rained the night before, making the nature that surrounded them extremely inviting. The warm air that carried the smell of wet soil felt like a breath of life, and to top it all, birds were singing above their heads. It was perfect.

There was a small creek they needed to cross and Ellie waited for Abby on the other side, holding out her hand for her. She took it with a smile and didn’t let go.

She beamed at the feeling of Abby’s warmth, and they soon found themselves walking hand in hand in a world that had been only too cruel to even dream about doing something so carefree.

Ellie noticed a tree that was particularly big and hid her smirk. She did her best to direct their walk a little more towards that spot, feeling the anticipation increasing with each step. 

They were getting there, but before she could do what she had in mind, she felt being pushed towards it. Her back was inches from the tree and Abby gave a step closer, making her feel the natural barrier behind.

All Ellie could see now was Abby, who was resting a hand against the trunk of the tree, right next to her face. And that was all she wanted to see right now. Besides, being this close allowed her to lay a hand on her well-defined abdominals in a very casual way, and that was perfect.

Abby started doing the same.

“You beat me to it” Ellie said, gasping.

“I know” Abby said with a smirk that was all too inviting.

The forest itself seemed to be respecting this private moment, and the silence that suddenly surrounded them only increased their need of touch. 

They were looking into each other's eyes, feeling that there was nothing else. 

There were no creatures around, no animals, no weapons, not even friends nor family. The entire world seemed to have limited itself to this small space that was only theirs.

Ellie was experiencing so many things that her legs felt a little weaker. And she bit her lip at the sight of Abby’s incredibly attractive mouth.

She saw her getting even closer, longing the simple act of kissing her, but not quite doing it. And they were both enjoying this little game.

Abby was nervous. She hadn’t been this nervous before, at least not for a while. But then Ellie looked at her, and suddenly her lips wanted to kiss every inch of her skin, her arms wanted to hug that precious body and never let go. It was as if her whole being just wanted to be with this other person, the girl that had changed her life in the most incredible way.

And when she saw her closing her eyes, her heart beat even faster. Hypnotized, she felt like being pulled by a force stronger than herself, and she was really enjoying every second of this moment.

“ _Did you just smell me?_ ” Ellie said in a whisper before she could stop herself and feared that she had ruined the moment.

“ _Unable to avoid…_ ” was Abby’s only remark and Ellie got goosebumps at the sound of her captivating voice.

And then she was startled when she felt a soft kiss on her neck. And then another one right next to that spot, it was a trail of soft and loving kisses, each lingering a little longer than the last.

This wasn’t by far their first kiss, but somehow it felt similar. It was pure bliss and pleasure, and soon they were completely lost in it.

“Your eyes…” Abby said, taking a loose hair out of Ellie’s face. She was resting her elbow on the ground, where they had ended up.

“What about them?” Ellie said squinting a bit, feeling less attractive than ever.

“I love them”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

Their lips met one more time, their hands immediately followed, and their bodies reacted to their touch in the most wonderful way. 

They knew each other, they _loved_ each other. And they could both feel it as their bodies unleashed a passion that had been dormant for almost too long.

Some time later, and after an unforgettable emotional and physical release, they were walking hand by hand again.

Abby kept shooting side glances at Ellie, until she stopped and confronted her.

“What?”

“What!”

“ _Abby_ ” Ellie said, trying to sound menacing, but failing.

“Well… I do hope we were far enough” she said scratching her nose and Ellie looked at her with a frown, until it hit her.

“ _Oh…_ ” she said, blushing furiously.

“I’m just kidding” Abby said, nudging her and Ellie pushed her a little too hard, making her lose balance.

It was her time to catch her before she hit the ground, and she managed to kiss her before helping her stand.

“Well, how the tables turned” Abby said as she stood up next to her.

They continued after a laugh and Abby noticed how Ellie’s body unconsciously adopted a new stance. She was already in hunting mode.

“I bet there are deers around, but the wind is not favorable here”

She was right. Abby saw her long hair following the direction of the wind, straight to where any potential prey could be hiding.

“Up for a little hunting competition?” Ellie said, feeling lucky.

“Hmm, I’m not really sure”

“I understand. Who would ever wanna compete against me?”

The smug look on her face reminded Abby of Lev, and she laughed as she started considering the idea.

“I guess we could. Ellie, I have to confess that…”

Abby stopped talking and bit her lip, and Ellie completed her sentence.

“You’re scared”

She stared at her and slowly nodded.

“I sound stupid, I know”

“Why the hell would you sound stupid for being scared? Shit, I’m scared all the time!”

“You certainly don't look like it”

“Well, I’ve had years of practice”

Abby got closer to her and hugged her tight. She hadn’t asked her much about her life with Joel out of respect, but what she had heard so far was enough to get an idea of how hard it had been.

“Alright, let’s do it. Fuck fear”

Ellie separated an inch from her, with her hands still grabbing her waist.

“Fuck fear” she repeated with glee and saw her looking a little more sure of herself.

“D’you wanna take the rifle?” she asked, but Abby shook her head.

“You take it. We need food and I know you won’t miss if you have the chance”

“I know you won’t miss either”

They prepared their things, and shared one last kiss.

With a final glance at each other they started walking opposite ways, and Ellie was already regretting her idea. However, if she were to be successful, she would have a very good card to play in case of future defeats. Abby had proven to be a hardcore opponent in almost every game they’ve played so far. 

At least now she was in her true element, and she chortled when she looked at the rifle in her hands. She checked that everything was ok with the feeling that she was cheating.

Abby was walking as silently as possible through an area that was enormous, covered with tall trees, dense bushes and all sorts of possible hideouts. She inspected her surroundings, trying to ignore the anxiety she was starting to feel.

Those guys wanted her dead. And if they were anything like her, they would never stop until they reached their objective. A shiver runned through her body at the thought of “hostages”.

She had her crossbow ready to shoot any animal or enemy that dared to cross her way. And then she saw Ellie, and she just knew that their eyes locked across the distance.

She felt something burning inside, and she was suddenly really invested in this little game. She wanted to defeat her in this, her own field of expertise. She knew that Ellie was perfect in all sorts of ways, but above all, she was an incredible hunter.

“I can do this” she said to herself and started getting deep into the forest.

Back in the safe house, Lev and Yara were working on a new set of targets, because the ones Abby did were too battered to be of any good use. 

“How’s this?” Lev asked her as he showed her his new take on a clicker carved in the wood he had chosen.

“Amazing” she said with her voice filled with pride and saw him examining it with appreciation.

What Yara liked most about Lev was how keen of a learner he was. He always gave his undivided attention and then applied the new knowledge to his best abilities. She loved having the opportunity to help him improve, and she had decided to do that in any possible way.

“Lev…”

He was so focused on what he was doing that he just said “uh?” without looking up. But he eventually did when Yara didn’t add anything else.

“What is it? Are you ok?” he left the things he was using on his side, then rushed to sit next to his sister, who was clearly affected by something.

“Lev, I’m just… You know how much I love you, right?” he nodded a little confused and then she hugged him. 

He could feel it, the honest and true love that had accompanied them during the harshest times of their lives. They had always been their own shelter, always ready to support each other with open arms.

He knew that what Yara had done for him was way beyond loyalty or duty. She had given it all, even at the risk of losing her own life.

“I love you too, sis” he said with his eyes closed, trying to convey all those feelings into this hug.

They looked at each other and Yara caressed his face and gave him a sweet kiss on the forehead before standing up.

“You’re not going to finish this?” he asked, grabbing one of her unfinished works, which already looked perfect.

“Soon. I want to stretch my legs a bit”

“In that case… would you help me with something?”

Lev’s face showed that his intentions weren’t exactly good.

“What are you up to?”

“Oh, you know… just looking for a couple of ingredients I need”

“You’re doing it!”

He just nodded and Yara chuckled, picturing the reactions of Abby and Ellie to Lev’s master creation.

“We can’t go too far though” she said and he nodded.

“I know. If we don’t find it here, we can search when they return”

He looked at the distance, where surely Abby and Ellie were having some quality time together, and smiled at the thought of their return.

He was missing them so much already. And Yara didn't say it, but he knew that she felt the same way, looking up once in a while to see if she caught any sign of them.

“We should wait for them with a surprise”

“Another one besides that? What do you have in mind?” Yara asked her eager brother, who just showed his smirk.

After a while, they looked at their finished work. The wooden plank they had been working on was now showing an incredible drawing of the four of them.

“Why did you make me so little?” he said, squinting his eyes at the figures.

“You _are_ little” Yara said and avoided his playful push.

“Abby looks so cool”

“Ellie too”

“They’re both amazing”

“Do you think they’ll hunt something?”

“I guess” Yara turned around and went outside quickly, so he didn't notice that she was blushing.

She knew that hunting was the goal of their trip, but she also knew that there must be other things they would want to do alone. And she felt happy about it. She could almost see them holding hands and looking at birds, and she suddenly felt grateful for witnessing a love so pure that it had reached even them.

As soon as Ellie saw it, her body froze. It was a big deer, and she was in the perfect spot to get it.

“ _Stay there…_ ” she whispered as she carefully adopted a suitable position for shooting.

Abby saw the sight of her rifle shining from the highest spot of a hill, and she smiled at the thought of her loved one behind it. They were so far away right now, but just knowing that she was there made it all good.

She had also seen the deer, and had her crossbow ready in case she saw an opportunity to shoot. But something else happened before that.

A growl was heard from a little afar, and Abby felt her blood freeze when she recognized it.

“ _Wolves_ ”

She looked at the spot where Ellie must be, trying to stay as motionless as possible. If they smell her, she could be in trouble. If she made a sound or a sharp movement, same result.

“ _I won’t let that happen_ ” Ellie thought, already knowing her predicament, and extremely attentive of the animals’ movement.

Her rifle was ready to shoot anything that could menace to hurt Abby.

The action started sooner that expected. The deer jumped probably higher than ever in its life and got away through a path that was leading a little to the right where Abby was. She saw it running followed by the flashing silhouettes of three wolves.

It reached a clearance that was a little ahead and now it was surrounded. Ellie felt sorry for the beautiful creature. She remembered seeing something similar with Joel. Only it was a moose being attacked by wolves, but that had been just a statue.

This was frightening. Nature at its wildest.

“Shit” was the only word that escaped from Abby’s mouth.

She was way too close and her crossbow wouldn’t be too effective against three adult wolves. 

“ _Oh, the irony. Death_ _by wolves_ ” she thought at the idea of falling into their claws.

But Ellie would never let that happen. She had spotted the danger even before her and was waiting with the finger on the trigger. Nothing was gonna hurt Abby while she was there. Nothing, and no one.

It was a secret and personal vow. And she knew she would be reckless about it if the time came, and she wouldn’t even care.

Luckily, the wolves were too interested in their prey to notice anyone around. They saw them feasting on their prey. Abby aimed up and at the distance, and saw the tip of Ellie’s hand. 

They waited until the animals scattered and went away, already knowing that they were gonna have to be more apart before getting closer, because Ellie had chosen the long way back with the idea of checking if there were any other animals they could hunt. 

What she saw through her sight right before giving up left her dumbfounded. 

“Is it…?”

Abby was looking at Ellie through the somewhat weaker sight of her crossbow, and it had been enough to let her know that she had seen something interesting. Another deer?

But then her mind started playing tricks again. 

“What if she saw the enemy and can’t turn around?”

She was experiencing a nervousness so extreme that it felt almost nostalgic. It had been a lot of time since she was in real danger, and that was danger in itself. They must not lower their guards. Not until they were really safe.

Ellie was still in the same position, and even though there was no possible way to confirm this, Abby knew that she wasn’t moving an inch.

Until she did.


	55. “I bet you weren’t expecting visitors”

“Lev! Where are you?”

Yara was looking for her brother, who had already gone beyond their established boundaries.

“Lev! I’m gonna tell Ellie!”

That did it. She chuckled when she heard footsteps running towards her and soon he was at her side, holding his knees and catching his breath.

“Yara! I… found one! Please don't… tell Ellie”

“You’re impossible”

He shrugged and showed her the ingredient that had been the reason for this small trip.

“Good. Now let’s go back, it’s been too long”

They were talking on their way back but suddenly stopped in their tracks.

“ _Yara_ ”

“ _I know. Stay behind me_ ”

Their hushed voices were a sign of how scared they were. They saw a couple of horses tied next to the house, and their hearts beat faster when they heard voices they hadn’t heard before coming from inside.

“ _Yara… what do we do?_ ”

“ _Follow me_ ”

She walked silently around the house without second thoughts. She crouched and put her ear against the wall, trying to catch what they were saying. Lev did the same.

“ _What do you hear?_ ” he asked nervously.

“ _Shhh..._ ” she closed her eyes and frowned.

“ _Come_ ” she said as she stood up and walked decisively towards the open door, ignoring Lev’s attempts to stay hidden.

“ _What are you doing?_ ” he whispered, but she just looked at him and smiled.

“ _Yara!_ ”

She didn’t add anything else and left him standing there, unable to believe what she was doing.

“Hello!” she said confidently from the threshold and Lev was still thinking what to do.

The voices inside the house stopped immediately and he couldn’t take it anymore. He joined his sister feeling extremely nervous.

“Oh, hi!” a man said.

He was tall and seemed very friendly. Behind him was a girl with a ponytail that looked his age, they were both greeting them with a smile.

“Hi. My name’s Yara and this is my brother Lev”

“Hi Yara, Lev. I’m Jesse, and this is Claire”

The girl waved a hand with a small bow and the kids immediately liked her.

“You must be Ellie’s friend” Yara said to Jesse, already suspecting the answer.

“I am! Is she around?” he asked looking outside.

“She’s hunting with Abby” Lev answered faster than Yara.

“They should be getting back soon, it’s been a couple of hours now” Yara added.

“I hope! Last time I went hunting with Ellie she took three days to catch a deer!”

Lev blanched but Yara just laughed.

“I see, so Ellie _is_ here” Jesse said, clasping his chin and raising an eyebrow to his friend, who sighed and shook her head.

“What is it?” Lev asked, sounding a little too protective.

“Oh nothing serious, she just lost a bet” Jesse said nodding at Claire.

“I bet you weren’t expecting visitors” he added with a chuckle.

Yara and Lev slowly shook their heads, feeling a little shy.

“I hope we didn't scare you. I told Jesse we should have waited outside…” she gave him a side glance and the kids chortled.

“Do you mind if I make something to eat? We missed breakfast and we’re starving now” Jesse asked, returning his partner’s glare with a wink.

“Oh sure! Can I help?” Lev asked before he could stop himself.

“By all means. The more, the merrier, right?” Jesse said, taking out some ingredients from his backpack.

Lev smiled. This guy really looked like a nice person, and he was happy that what seemed like a threat before, turned out to be a pleasant surprise.

Yara saw Lev looking at the ingredients in his pouch and she got closer to him.

“I’m not doing it now, if that’s what you’re here to say”

“Yeah, I was a little worried you might want to do something a little more, uhm...” Yara said, but didn’t have to finish because Lev shook his head.

“I don’t know, I just want to save it for us four first, you know?”

“Of course I do. Now go, you offered to help”

He was smiling at her when Jesse called him. He walked towards him eager to share the things he had, but careful not to put his secret ingredient among the others, and as he looked at Jesse working, he gladly noticed that he had a keen eye for cooking. 

“He looks like a cool kid” Claire said to Yara as she put her guns safely away.

“He is” Yara said with a smile.

“Can I ask you something?”

“Sure” Yara said, unconsciously grabbing her elbow.

“How long have you been here?”

“About a month, I think”

“Yeah… I figured. You must have arrived soon after we left”

Yara saw her frowning, smiling, frowning again and then sighing. And as the good listener she was, she waited for her to continue.

“He was right. Last time he told me that he had a feeling, but I insisted on leaving…”

Claire was starting to look conflicted, and then she felt Yara’s hand on her shoulder.

“Maybe that was meant to be. We’re here now, together”

She saw her turning the frown into a smile, and then she gave her a surprise hug.

“You’re great, Yara. Let’s be friends”

“Sure…” Yara said, looking a little baffled, but happy.

The house was soon filled with the sound of people busy and talking. The conversation was fluid among them, and Yara saw Lev already relaxed.

“So, how did you meet Ellie?” Jesse asked as he put the lid on the pot he and Lev had been using.

“She and Abby saved our lives” Lev said and Yara smiled when she noticed him looking a little too proud.

“We’ve been through a lot together. They really saved us more than once” she said.

“And I bet you saved their asses more than once too!” Jesse said with a chuckle.

“We’ve done alright” Yara said chortling.

“So, how come you haven’t gone to Jackson?” he asked, raising an eyebrow and genuinely curious.

Lev looked at Yara and she nodded just when Claire mouthed “Jesse!”, making them all laugh because she had failed to deliver that message in a secret way.

“We’re waiting for a couple of friends that were supposed to get here”

“Oh? More friends? This is amazing news! Well, know right now that any friend of Ellie is a friend of ours”

“And Abby’s” Claire added, making Lev smile.

“Thank you. We’ve heard so much of you, I feel like I know you” Yara said to him being completely honest.

“Well, what if we eat the delicious food my mate and I just prepared and then we can have a good nice talk so we can all get to know each other?”

“That sounds fantastic!” Claire said and blushed.

“I’m sorry, he was talking to you” she added looking at Yara and Lev, who chuckled and happily agreed to the idea.

Dinner was wonderful, Jesse had used a few ingredients they hadn’t tasted before, and Lev was thrilled asking questions about them.

“So, these other friends that you’re waiting for, can we talk a little more about them?” Jesse asked after they finished cleaning.

“I guess…” Yara said, trying to recall any mention of it being a secret, but couldn’t.

“Well, I mean, only if you're comfortable” Jesse added with a supportive smile.

Soon they were talking about Whitney and Nora, and all of the adventures they had endured so far. Jesse and Claire were a perfect audience, and Lev felt comfortable enough to even describe the creature at the hospital in full detail, even mimicking a few of its moves, which in Yara’s opinion was a personal milestone for him.

Whitney stopped to rest for a second and grabbed the strap of her backpack, but before taking it out, she dropped her hand with a frown. The only food she had left was some honey, and she wasn’t too keen about it now. After a while, everytime she had some, her stomach ached a little. And between having it hurt by hunger or pain, she preferred hunger at this point.

She continued walking with a mood that had been slowly and constantly decaying. Prolonged solitude can do real harm to a healthy mind, even one as playful and strong as hers. Her furry friend had stopped following after it got the nuts and she had given it a few names by now, but all in all, she remembered it with a smile. One of the few things that made her smile these days.

Some time ago she had thought about putting up a few tripwire traps behind her, but she couldn’t afford losing the little ammo and gunpowder she had left, since she had been forced to use most of it during her last encounter with infected a few days ago.

The memory of looking at death in the eyes was chilling, but also very concerning. That clicker had her pinned to the ground, and she still didn't understand how she got away from that.

The thought of someone else shooting at it with a silencer kept coming back, and she frowned again. Being followed and watched after all this time, and even after all of her efforts to verify that, was both frightening and infuriating. Her fists clenched in anger one more time.

Paranoia paved the way for a state of constant vigilance, and her body had suffered from all this tension for way too long now.

She felt her arms a little more stiff, as well as her legs. But she kept pushing on with slow and heavy steps, she kept going on with Nora’s face on her mind. She was close, she could feel it.

As many times before, she looked up for a high spot and stood there for a second. This time, either because of the need of encouragement, or because of the precarious state she found herself in, a memory started to get clearer by the second. She left her things on the side, sat and closed her eyes, smiling at her mother’s face against a sun very similar to the one that was heating her aching back.

_“My witty Whit”_

_“Mom!”_

_“Honey, look”_

_She got next to her mother with a pout. That was her brother’s nickname, and somehow it had stuck unlike any of the others._

_“What?”_

_“Mind your attitude, dear”_

_“I’m sorry. What called your attention, mother?”_

_Whitney saw her covering her mouth to hide a chortle, one of her favourites sounds._

_“Come here and stand beside me”_

_“Alright”_

_She did and her mother extended one arm in front of her._

_“Do what I do”_

_“What are we doing?”_

_“You’ll see”_

_Whitney did as she was told, feeling a little confused. It was very unlike her mother to do unnecessary stuff like this. She had no idea that she was in for a treat._

_“I’m gonna show you how to measure remaining daylight with your hand”_

_“MOM! That sounds so cool!”_

_“Listen to me and do what I say”_

_Whitney nodded enthusiastically as her mother positioned right at her back. She could see her long arm extended above her head._

_“One, face the sun and extend your arm in front of you so that your palm faces toward you and your fingers are parallel to the horizon”_

_“Like this, right?”_

_“Just like that” she felt her mother’s other hand on her shoulder and smiled._

_“Two, position your index finger so that it rests just below the sun and your pinky is parallel to the edge of the horizon”_

_Whitney’s tongue was poking out and one of her eyes was closed._

_“Three, count the number of fingers it takes to reach from the sun to the horizon. Each ascending finger represents fifteen minutes until the sun sets”_

_Whitney was amazed at this new information and started counting._

_“And last, but no least. If space allows, line up your other hand directly below and continue counting. Each hand represents approximately one hour”_

_“So, there should be… An hour and a half of remaining daylight?”_

_“Wonderful!” her mother clapped and extended her palm for a high-five that echoed all around._

_“Mom, where did you learn this?”_

_“Your grandfather was a very wise man”_

_“What else did he teach you?”_

_“Almost everything I’ve told you so far. And one more thing”_

_“What?”_

_“You carry a mission on your shoulders”_

_“A mission?” Whitney’s eyes were glowing with excitement now, and her mother chortled again._

_“You know, our family name was a great deal for your grandparents, and they always told me how people born under the “Sato” name were destined to help in any possible way. It’s part of who we are”_

_“Like a curse?”_

_“No! Whitney! The things you say! No, you have to see it more like a… like a special power”_

_“Yes! Sato power!” Whitney said, punching the air._

_“My girl” her mother said and Whitey looked at her with loving eyes, and then launched at her lap, where she fell asleep feeling her warmth and the constant and relaxing motion of her fingers combing her long hair._

“Thanks, mom” Whitney opened her eyes after this fond memory, stood up with a resolute look and extended her arm.

Not having a partner meant not having an extra pair of hands, so every minute of the day spent on finding shelter was valuable.

“Alright, three more hours of daylight. That means I have four hours tops to find shelter”

Her steps were a little more decisive and her look was still tired, but also hopeful. If anyone was destined to help Nora, it was her.

She felt like she had been walking for years when she saw the pine trees that Ellie mentioned, and her heart skipped a beat. She was really close now, and the idea of safety, rest, food and friends was all she needed to give that last effort.

Abby saw Ellie moving in a very strange way, as if she wanted to turn fast, but thought otherwise in the very last moment. 

“I bet she just saw a deer… and I’m gonna get it first” she looked at her faithful crossbow and smirked at the idea.

With the wolves' threat in the past, she moved fast and hidden from view with a clear objective in mind. She was going to beat her.

Some distance away, Ellie was in shock at what she had found in the midst of the woods.

“Holy shit! _Whitney!_ ”

Ellie was stunned, but that was definitely Whitney. She saw her walking very slowly following the road she knew would lead her to the safe house, to them.

Abby must have seen her disappear in the distance, because just when she turned to tell her, one of her feet got trapped in an exposed root and she felt her body being pulled downwards. It took her a while to get free, and by the time she did, Abby was nowhere to be seen.

“Damn it. Well, that’ll be one hell of a surprise”

She decided to get a little closer to look at this awaited encounter from afar, excited at the idea that neither of them knew the other was there. Knowledge is power, and she was feeling pretty powerful right now.

She chuckled when she saw Whitney through her sight. And then she moved the rifle to the left, searching, until she spotted movement on the bushes. Seconds later she recognized Abby moving carefully in full hunting mode, and she almost wished she had seen her hunting.

“You have no idea what you’re about to find!” Ellie said, feeling the urge to run to her side, but decided to wait and see.

“Oh man, _this is gonna be so good. Just don’t shoot her!_ ” she thought, anxious but at the same time enjoying this self-impossed torture.

Abby was moving cautiously around the bushes, avoiding exposed roots, jumping over rocks and going around trees. She was smiling at her own abilities, confident that she would win this little contest, and already picturing herself enjoying the benefits of this sweet victory.

She stopped behind a large tree, tightened the grip on her crossbow and started searching the area with soft and careful steps. If she was right, the animal could be anywhere in the near vicinity.

“ _Alright Ellie, let’s see who gets it first_ ” she smirked and looked for her in the distance, but couldn't find the shining of the rifle as before.

Trying to ignore the nasty thoughts about all of the accidents Ellie could have suffered, she focused on the task at hand. The forest looked empty, but she kept moving on as silently as possible, avoiding branches, leaves, and any possible source of alert.

Time passed by and she still hadn't seen nor heard anything, and was starting to reconsider this idea. She was now too far away from the safe house for her liking, and even though she knew the kids were safe, she also knew that they were also too far to hear any sign of warning, or a cry for help.

She stopped one more time, took a deep breath and convinced herself that it was ok to trust in others, and that it was simply impossible to be in charge of everything. Little by little she started to relax, until new imaginary threats invaded her altered mind.

What if something had really happened to Ellie and she was wasting valuable time? What if there were idle creatures ahead that started following her home? To the kids?

Frowning and not really happy about it, she put herself a limit. A crooked pine tree looked like a good marker to turn around. She calculated that it was only about 15 minutes away. 

And that was going to be the farthest she would get. She would go back with or without a deer.

Ellie was having difficulties controlling the strong desire of running towards Abby and, after giving her a hug and a kiss, led her towards her friend. 

Furthermore, now that she had been watching Whitney, she noticed that she looked really tired and Ellie felt extremely guilty of being consciously and knowingly prolonging her suffering. After all, she had been in the same situation too many times before, and the idea of such a dear friend surviving alone after all this time ended up convincing her.

She started to carefully move around the harsh terrain she had found herself in and saw through the sight one more time, and she saw Abby. Her beautiful and sweet Abby. Her strong and loving Abby. That made her step up her pace.

She wasn't even half-way down the hill, and regretted not having moved sooner, because she would probably miss what they were going to say to each other.

“Nothing to do now but hurry” she said to herself, trying to be both fast and careful at the same time. Something that was as hard as it sounds, and she ended up falling a couple of times, which only detained her longer than she would have wanted to.

Abby was reaching the tree she had set as her limit when she spotted movement ahead. Quickly and quietly she went behind the tree, where she could stay conveniently hidden among two big bushes.

“ _Come on now… I’m ready for you_ ” she whispered with her crossbow ready to shoot.

But she wasn't expecting to see a human, let alone **_that_ **human.

“Oh my god! Whitney?” Abby ran towards her baffled friend, who looked like she was seeing a ghost.

“ _Abby? Is that really you?_ ” Whitney said in a low voice unable to believe her eyes.

“Whitney! Are you ok?”

Abby got to her just when she was falling on her knees. The realization that her journey had finally ended and the relief of finding Abby sooner than expected had been too much for her battered body.

“Whitney… _what happened to you?_ ” Abby said as she helped her get to the ground.

She had thrown her crossbow a few feet away, along with the rest of her things. That didn’t matter now, she was tending to her friend and thinking of all the things she wanted to show her, ask her or simply give her. After a while, she lost count of how many times she had caressed her hair.

She looked from her sleeping face towards the trees ahead, where there were no signs of Nora. She was frowning when she heard a sound that she didn't like. Her heart started to accelerate, and before she could grab any of her guns, one of her worst nightmares materialized in front of her eyes.

She saw with horror how a group of Wolves, human Wolves, made their appearance and quickly surrounded them. One of the biggest guys Abby had only seen around the FOB stepped forward, and the look on his face was unleashing a fury that she thought was already gone.

“I bet you weren’t expecting visitors” he said, looking at her with a smile that was intimidating on a primal level.

Abby looked at her unconscious friend and bit her lip. There was no way she could both protect her and get away from these guys. And the faces of Ellie, Lev and Yara crossed her mind in a flash.

“Don’t even think about it” one of them said, aiming his gun at her.

Her hand felt something cold and hard, and realized that it was the handle of the gun Whitney kept behind her back. Now the question was if it was possible to use it without dying. She was trying to take it out when she recovered consciousness.

“What? Mark?” her voice had a mix of astonishment and panic.

“Whitney, you did great back there, almost got us with those infected” Mark said unaltered.

Whitney looked from him to Abby, who was holding her.

“I’m sorry Whit. We’re even now, you know? It was me who saved you from that clicker” the guy she had saved before said as he stepped next to Mark, almost hoping for gratitude.

Whitney was shaking her head in disbelief at the events that were developing before her eyes, and felt Abby’s supportive touch on her back. But she couldn’t relax knowing that they were trapped, and facing a possible death.

She thought about Nora and her eyes widened, but she couldn’t even mention her.

“Don’t worry, we’re not gonna kill you, though we can’t say the same for her” Mark said as he approached them staring at Abby.

Without any further warning he used the back of his hand to knock Whitney out. Abby had taken the gun from her waist and she was pointing it at him.

“You don’t wanna do that”

“Oh trust me, this is all I wanna do”

They looked at each other, and she was so busy staring at him that she failed to notice the guy that had circled them and that was now knocking her out too.

“What about her?” the same guy from before said as he kneeled next to Whitney.

“Tie her to that tree. She’s too weak to follow us and by the time she gets free, we´re gonna be long gone”

The guy obeyed, and before leaving, he left a bottle of water next to her hand.

“You deserved better” he said and left without looking back.

Ellie was still half-way down the hill when she felt that something wasn’t right. She wouldn't know how to explain it if asked, but something deep inside of her was telling her to hurry.

By the time she reached the road, that feeling only increased. They should have met by now, why weren’t they talking? laughing? what happened?

And then she found Whitney tied up to a tree, unconscious and alone. She approached looking around with her heart trying to get free from its ribcage.

_Where was Abby?_


	56. “Old habits never die”

“ _Whitney…_ ” Ellie helped her sit more comfortably, now out of the ropes.

She took the bottle of water that was lying next to her and opened it with shaky hands. She could see Abby’s things lying around and still couldn’t believe that she wasn’t there. 

After Ellie poured some water into her mouth, Whitney opened her eyes with a start.

“What? NO!”

“Whitney it’s me, Ellie”

“Ellie, HURRY! They took Abby! They’re gonna kill her!”

Ellie blanched and felt the earth shaking under her feet. 

So it was true, Abby had been taken by others, and despite that disturbing piece of information, she found the strength to contain Whitney, who was out of herself.

“Whitney, do you know where they went?” Ellie held her shoulders until she calmed a bit.

“I think they’re taking her back to the base”

“I see”

Ellie started pacing around. She checked Abby’s guns. Put them away, took them again, checked them one more time, and then it looked like she had a plan.

“I need to ask you a big favor” she said with determination.

“Anything to help” Whitney said at once and saw her nodding.

Ellie’s next moves were so fast that Whitney had to look away because she was starting to get dizzy. She drank some water and felt a relief that she didn't think could be possible in a moment like this. When she looked at Ellie again, she was walking towards her with something in her hands.

“Take these. You’re gonna need them” Ellie gave her all the food they had been carrying, which was a couple of sandwiches and some deer jerky.

Whitney could sense the urgency in her voice, and she didn’t waste time saying anything else. Ellie continued talking.

“We need to switch these” she asked Whitney for her shotgun and handed her the one she had.

Whitney noticed that Ellie’s shotgun was fully upgraded. And the extra rounds it contained made it feel heavier.

“Follow this road. When you get to a clearing, use the shotgun to fire the rounds like this”

She handed her a piece of paper where she had written a sequence for firing. Whitney was in awe at how fast Ellie had thought about all of this and also at how cool this kind of messaging was.

“If they hear that, you’ll find company in a bit. Tell them everything”

“You can count on me” Whitney nodded with resolution written all over her face and Ellie tried to smile.

“If you come by this way again, please take this with you” 

Ellie showed her Abby’s backpack and put it safely away in the bushes next to the tree, without knowing that it was the very same spot where she had been hiding with the hope of catching a deer, only to meet a destiny she had feared for too long.

“Be careful” Ellie said once she was done.

“What about you?”

“I’m gonna find… and I’m gonna kill… every last one of them”

Ellie said this as she checked Abby’s crossbow, and the way she said those words combined with her whole body posture made her look so fierce that Whitney felt a shiver running down her spine. 

“Ellie…” she wanted to apologize, but before she could say anything else Ellie wished her good luck and disappeared, following the trail of the Wolves.

Whitney was all alone again, and she couldn’t hold back the tears... She looked at the sandwiches and her stomach rumbled. She grabbed one and ate it between sobs, hoping that it would infuse some energy into her battered body. Water and food should feel good after so long, but even though it was the best she had eaten in weeks, everything felt kind of bitter.

She looked up at the sky one more time, “ _two hours of daylight_ ”. She drank the water feeling that her mood was below ground, the guilt was eating her alive, and her mind was relentlessly punishing her.

They had followed her all the way here. She was the reason Abby was in danger, and now Ellie was forced to go to the rescue, putting herself in danger too. And she couldn’t even tell them about Nora!

Her stomach contracted and she felt sick, and then felt the urge to stop, curl up and cry her heart out, but there was no time for that. She needed to find help, she now had two important messages to deliver, so she continued what has been the longest journey of her life.

After what felt like an eternity, she spotted the clearing Ellie mentioned, and without wasting any time she took out the piece of paper, memorized the sequence by practicing it a couple of times without firing, checked that the shotgun was loaded and set herself in what she considered was the middle of this spot.

“I hope it helps”

Firing the shotgun somehow drained all of the energy she had left, and black spots started to appear on the edges of her field of sight.

“Please… hurry” she let herself fall to the ground and tried her best to stay awake. 

Back in the safe house, Jesse finished teaching Yara one of the best knots she had ever seen and she went to sit next to her brother, who was trying to play something with the harmonic but didn't look satisfied.

“You try it” he told her, offering her the instrument he was using.

“I’d rather use mine, thanks” she said, showing him her small flute.

She apparently succeeded whatever Lev had failed to do, because he looked both happy and defeated. And they were soon swaying at the soft and delicate tune Yara was playing.

"What's that?" Claire asked when she finished.

"A song mom used to sing for us" Yara said with a smile.

"It's beautiful" Claire said appreciatively.

“I have one of these back in Jackson. I could teach you a couple of things, if you want” Jesse had asked for Lev’s harmonic.

He was telling him a few things about it, but his words were interrupted by the unmistakable sound of gunshots in the distance. One, two, silence. Then one, two, three, silence. And then two more. And silence.

“They must have found a prey” Jesse said, not quite convinced.

Lev stood up fast and so did Yara. They looked at each other and nodded.

“What is it?” Claire was the first to ask.

“Ellie and Abby are in trouble, we need to go” he said out loud and he and Yara ran to the house and started gathering their things.

Jesse and Claire followed them no questions asked, and soon they were all ready next to the horses.

“Let’s go!” Jesse said.

Claire helped Lev get on her horse. Yara was riding with Jesse.

“Where do we go?” Claire asked in a loud voice to the boy on her back.

“To the clearing, just follow the road” Lev answered and they sped up.

Whitney was sitting with her head between her knees and she felt like she couldn’t move. 

Footsteps. Voices. Yelling. Someone taking her by the shoulders. Urgent message. Eyes half opened. Kids. People.

“One of your friends?” Jesse asked Yara, who nodded.

“She must have met Ellie and Abby on the way, only they could have shown her our secret code” Lev said, feeling too anxious to acknowledge the look of admiration on Yara’s face.

“Whitney…” Yara said crouching next to her.

“ _Help_ ” Whitney’s feeble voice reached them.

“Whitney!” Yara said, but she stopped talking when she saw the look on her face.

“Abby was taken prisoner and Ellie went after them” Whitney said this as fast as she could, as if she feared fainting again.

“Can you show us where you last saw them?” Jesse asked softly, trying to ignore the abrupt silence that fell above them.

“Yes”

She stood up and felt dizzy, but Yara and Lev were at her side, helping her stand.

“Thank you guys, I’ll be fine soon” Whitney said, wincing.

She felt all eyes on her and she was trying hard to stop the horrible scene that was replaying in her mind.

“I’ll take the kids, you ride with Whitney” Claire said to Jesse and she saw the kids already waiting, looking distressed.

There was no time to waste, and they were ready to go just five minutes after Whitney talked. The ride was in complete silence, all of them thinking about Abby and Ellie, and it was endless.

“This is the place!” Whitney yelled when she finally saw the crooked pine and they all stopped.

“Ellie told me to grab Abby’s things. They’re in those bushes” Whitney told Jesse, who was inspecting the place.

He took the backpack and she helped him tie it to the chair. His eyes darted towards the trees ahead before pushing him up the horse.

“Alright, let’s go” he said, frowning.

Five minutes later they were facing a crossroad and Jesse’s eyes were looking for something on the trees again. His heart raced fast when he saw a piece of paper tied to a branch.

“ _Ellie…_ This way!” he told the others to follow.

She started doing that after he scolded her for leaving him behind when they were hunting and doing patrols.

“ _Alright, alright! I’ll start leaving you markers, maybe that way you won’t cry that much_ ” she had said when Jesse told her to behave.

He wanted to smile, but his mouth was too tense. He tightened the grip on the reigns and could feel Whitney holding tighter to him.

They were riding fast and in silence towards the setting sun, knowing that it had been way too long.

Ellie was running. She could feel her blood boiling, and it was both with anger and guilt. Abby had warned her, she was truly scared! But no, she had to insist.

“Fuck fear my ass!” she yelled with anger and pushed on, her tears were carried away by the wind.

She had been following the trail she could clearly see now thanks to Abby. Abby, who was taken away because of her. Abby, who had taught her so many things that she would be forever in debt. Ellie had never been in better shape than now, and these guys were about to find out that they had awakened a wolf in her heart.

The sun had set, and she was in full stealth mode. She saw the glimpse of a light ahead, and then she heard yelling. The group of Wolves were having a discussion, and she took this chance to get closer without being detected. It was good that it was dark, because their light only reflected the angry faces of men arguing.

“ _Found you_ ” she whispered as she took cover.

A big guy was in the middle of the group, and two others were yelling at him. The scene reminded her of that other time when she and Abby had been in a similar situation. If those guys hadn’t argued then… 

Her eyes quickly scanned the place and the people around. Abby was tied on the ground, unconscious.

“ _Bastards_ ” she thought.

She was using her abilities at their maximum. She could hear every sound, every step, every word spoken, and what she heard was extremely disturbing. If she was having doubts about killing these guys, they were long gone now.

“Come on, Mark! Let’s do it already!”

“No. It has to be there!” Mark was yelling now.

“Why the fuck don’t we just kill her now and take her body back with us”

“Listen to yourself, seriously? You wanna carry a dead body all the way down there? No… besides, the impact won’t be the same”

“Impact?”

Ellie swiftly killed a guy that was trying to find a private spot.

“ _One down, eight to go_ ” she thought, cleaning her trusty switchblade.

She took down a couple of guys that were too far behind to be heard among the yelling. And she felt a special satisfaction that she had done it with Abby’s crossbow.

She crouched behind a tree and very quietly took out some pieces of brick out of her backpack, grateful at her genius idea of saving some.

The guys were still arguing, Abby was still unconscious and she was still hidden. The first piece of broken brick fell a few feet away from Mark.

They all turned to look, except for a guy that turned the other way and almost yelled when he saw Ellie. But she was faster than the eye and she killed him, and waited.

“See anything?” one of the guys asked a little ahead.

“Must be a wild animal”

Before they could return to their spot and realize that their numbers had decreased, Ellie threw another piece of brick, this time farther, away from Abby.

It worked. They were quiet now, all with their guns out. Ellie saw the perfect chance and took out one of the smoke bombs Abby had made with the plastic balls. As soon as it landed, the guys started yelling. They were scared now, and three of them died at the same time with one of Ellie’s explosive arrows. She took care of the others with her shotgun, now fully exposed.

There were no more sounds, no more talking. She walked towards Abby surrounded by smoke, looking as if she was coming from hell. And then she felt like she was in it. 

Mike was waiting for her, a trickle of blood was falling from the tip of his head and he was aiming a gun at Abby.

“Drop it, or I’ll kill her right now”

“Why haven't you?” Ellie asked without lowering her gun and hoping that he didn’t give up on the idea of killing her in front of the remaining Wolves.

“I want all of them to see that I caught her. That she’s nothing more than a girl. I'll kill her alright, and there's nothing you can do about it”

“Why don't you fight me then? Give me a chance or let me die trying. I’m just a girl too”

She grinned when she saw him considering it. He put his guns on the ground, took out a big knife and smiled.

“You’re gonna regret this”

Ellie dropped her guns too, adopting a fighting position with her switchblade ready. She knew she was going to have a hard time taking him down, but she also knew that nothing would prevent her from getting to Abby. Nothing.

Mark’s first attack was so sudden that he almost got Ellie, but she was faster, and without wasting a second, she jumped on his back and stabbed him repeatedly, until he shook her away.

He didn’t wait for her to stand up and threw himself with full force. Ellie felt her body sinking in the ground, he put a knee in her chest and pushed hard, but before he could get hold of her neck, he felt a strong kick on the groin, and Ellie escaped from his hands.

She stabbed everything she could, and even though Mark was bleeding and standing with difficulty, he punched her so hard that she fell backwards a few feet away.

Abby opened her eyes and she felt her head spinning. It took her awhile to understand that she was tied up, and that she had a cloth in her mouth.

She blinked and little by little shapes and colours made sense. 

“ _Ellie…_ ”

She saw her for a second, but then disappeared from sight. Then she saw a big guy falling to the ground with Ellie on top, she was forcing her knife into his chest, but he stopped her and threw her away.

Abby managed to spat the cloth out of her mouth and was trying hard to get free. She was looking for something to cut the ropes when she heard Ellie yelling the loudest she had ever heard her.

She saw her standing next to the guy whose eyes were now fixed in horror, but there was no movement in that body, and Ellie fell on her knees.

“Ellie!”

Ellie looked at her and smiled. She was covered in blood, and she was slowly approaching her.

“Hi there…”

“You’re bleeding”

"Not all mine" she said with a smile that showed bloody teeth.

Abby saw her cutting the ropes with one hand, one very shaky hand, and as soon as she felt free she started examining her.

“How hurt are you?”

“Only a bit”

“Ellie…”

“I’m so sorry Abby! I’m sorry!”

“What? Don’t start and come here”

Abby ripped her shirt and that made Ellie chuckle.

“I guess old habits never die” she said and fainted.

“Ellie!”

Whitney felt her body tensing when she heard an explosion. And she knew that the others were in the same state, or worse.

“That must be one of Ellie’s explosive arrows” Jesse yelled in an attempt to get free of the monster in his chest.

They were all thinking the same thing, that they weren’t going fast enough. But it was hard to ride a horse in the woods, and even more so doing it in the night. In the dark.

Finally they saw a light flashing ahead and they slowed down. And then they found a dead body, and then others scattered around.

Abby heard the horses and she immediately took Ellie’s gun. 

“Abby! Ellie!” Lev yelled as he jumped off the horse. 

Yara and the others did the same and Abby sighed with relief. Whitney was with them, looking a little shaken, but ok.

“Abby, what happened?” Yara asked, and her eyes went from her to Ellie, who had a bandage on her arm and was comfortably sleeping in her lap.

“She rescued me, again” Abby said, caressing Ellie’s hair.

“Is she ok?” Lev asked with concern.

“She’s a bit hurt, but nothing serious. I think she just exhausted herself”

“What about you?” Yara asked her.

“I’m ok. I see you found Whitney” she said smiling at her, but Whitney was too anxious to smile back.

She saw a woman next to Jesse, and there was something familiar about her, but Abby couldn’t see well from this perspective.

“Hi, remember me?” Claire said, smiling at Abby, who squinted her eyes and then opened them wide.

“It’s you!” she said finally recognizing her as part of the group of survivors she and Ellie had helped a while back.

“Yeah, it’s good to see you again”

They smiled at each other and the kids looked baffled. Lev kneeled next to Ellie and Yara was soon at his side.

“Can we move her?” he asked.

“We have to. Alright, slowly”

With Abby’s help, they turned Ellie over and saw her wincing. Lev looked at his wet hand and his stomach twitched in fear when he saw that it was blood.

“She’s hurt!”

“Let me see” Yara said, examining her as fast and as efficiently as she could.

“She has a cut, nothing serious, but we need to stop the bleeding”

“Use this” Abby said, giving her another piece of the clothing from before.

Ellie groaned and then slowly opened her eyes. What she saw was enough to make her feel good in seconds.

“Welcome back” Abby said with a smile that Ellie mirrored.

“We have company” she added.

“Hi there!” Jesse said with a grin.

“Jesse! Oh my god!” she said and then she looked at Claire.

“You! Hi!” 

“Hi again” Claire said with a smile.

Abby stood up and helped Ellie do the same. She moved her bandaged arm and she spotted Yara looking at her, and they smiled at each other.

“It’s my turn now” Ellie said to her.

“Guys…” Whitney’s voice reached them and they all turned to look at her.

She saw only smiling faces and hated to be the one killing the mood.

“I need your help. Nora needs your help”

“Nora?” 

“Whitney, what happened?”

Whitney was about to talk but started to cry instead, and she was soon surrounded by loving arms and words of encouragement. She told them everything she could remember about the guys that had taken Nora, she tried to describe the place and its surroundings, and part of the road and the dangers they could probably face. They were all shaken by Nora’s horrible fate, and by all of the things Whitney had to endure so far.

“Whitney, that was some serious journey!” Abby said in awe.

“It was challenging…”

“Jackson will have to wait” Ellie said to Jesse.

“I know. It sounds like we don’t have time to ask for backup” he said.

“We really don’t” Whitney said, hoping not to sound rude and Yara grabbed her arm tight. Whitney appreciated the gesture, feeling a little calmer.

“I wish we had more horses” Ellie said and Claire suddenly had an idea.

“Jesse! Your car!” she yelled and startled everybody.

Jesse looked at her and went from pure excitement to a frown in just seconds.

“What car?” Ellie asked him, but he was thinking hard and didn’t seem to have heard her.

“It’s out of gas” he said, defeated.

“What about the extra gallons?” Claire said and Jesse looked ecstatic.

“Claire! That could work!”

He looked around with a huge grin, and then realized that the others must be wondering what was all that about.

“I think we have a way to get there faster, and all together”

“Well, tell us then!” Ellie said with exasperation.

“Ok, so I found a car some time ago. I’ve been working on it away from Jackson without really knowing why. Now I’m so glad I did, cause if I’m not wrong, we should get to it in less than half an hour” he said looking at their happy faces.

“Jesse! I could kiss you right now!” Ellie said, clapping.

“ _Don’t_ ” both Abby and Claire said in a whisper that no one else caught.

“And what about those extra gallons?” Ellie asked perplexed.

“We started storing extra gas in the safe house after you two left. For emergencies only, like this one”

He took out a sort of necklace he was wearing, it had a set of keys attached.

“You better take this, it’ll be better if you wait inside”

Ellie took it and wanted to put it around her neck, but winced. Lev rushed to her side and she saw him worried.

“I’m ok” she said with a smile.

“Let me take it” he offered and she saw him lowering his head so she wouldn’t have to do much effort.

“Lev, Demon Slayer, Can Slayer and now Protector of the Keys!” Ellie announced as she put the necklace over his head, and he looked energized.

“Sounds like an awesome character” Whitney said, unable to stop herself, already embracing the good vibes that surrounded this group of survivors. She smiled wide when she saw Ellie nodding at her with appreciation.

“I’ll go get the gas and meet you at the car” Claire said and Jesse frowned.

Ellie turned to Abby and saw her smiling, she was about to ask her why when she nodded at them. Ellie looked just when Claire was taking a leaf out of Jesse’s jacket, and she could tell that she was blushing. 

“I see…” she said with a smirk.

After a few minutes Jesse was ready to go with Claire, while the others headed to the car. Lev walked to his side and told him something that seemed important. Jesse smiled, nodded and patted his back.

“We’ll be waiting for you, be careful” Ellie said to them as they checked their horses.

“You too” he said and Claire said goodbye to the kids in a way that made Abby and Ellie feel really good.

They left without another word and the others watched their flashlights fade in the darkness.

“Whitney, how do you feel?” Abby asked her.

“I’m a lot better now, thanks” she looked exhausted, but better indeed.

They started the small journey towards the car. Abby put on her backpack feeling it really light now that such a huge burden had been lifted from her shoulders. 

“That braid has seen better days” Ellie said and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before joining Lev in the front to tell him a joke she just remembered.

“She looks like she’s already healed” Yara said next to Abby, who was undoing her braid to redo it.

“She’s stronger than she looks” Abby said, admiring Ellie’s laugh. 

Yara chuckled and saw Lev almost pushing Ellie, and just had to interfere.

“Be right back” she said to a smiling Abby.

Abby saw Ellie wincing when she thought nobody was looking, and she got closer to her.

“Don’t push it. I know you're strong, but please, love”

Ellie suddenly felt no pain at all, and she grabbed Abby’s hand feeling a special kind of relief. They looked at each other and kissed under the stars. 

Whitney was talking with the kids a little ahead, looking a lot more stable than a few hours ago, and then a lot sooner than they thought, Lev announced that they were reaching the spot Jesse said, and the relief was collective when they finally found the precious car that felt like a true light in the darkness.


	57. “Godspeed”

“We did it!” Lev yelled as he and the others looked amazed at the metal beast that was parked between two trees and semi-covered with some loose bushes.

Saying that the car was big enough for all of them, like Jesse had told them, was a huge understatement.

“That’s a big car” Yara said in awe when they finished removing all of the camouflage.

“Yeah… I’m not sure if we can call it _that_ ” Ellie said with a chuckle. “Oh man, this definitely changes things” she added with a huge grin.

“Lev” she called and turned just in time to see him already taking out the keys from his neck.

Ellie looked at Abby, who nodded, took them and proceeded to do the honours knowing that she had everyone’s full attention. 

For a second she felt as if she was checking an explosive device, the excitement was palpable. The key turned smoothly and the door opened with a general cheer from the ones witnessing such an important event.

“Alright, time to get some rest” Abby said next to the open door and they all smiled at Whitney, who had already left her backpack on the ground and was too tired to pick it up.

She didn’t need to be told twice and after saying goodnight to everyone, she jumped in and smiled when she saw them waving at her. Lev had offered to take care of her things and she felt lighter, and not only physically.

Inside the car she felt warm and calm. Every sound was muffled and she was already feeling drowsy. A huge smile crossed her face when she noticed that behind the second line of seats there was an open space large enough for a person to lay comfortably. 

Once there she felt spoiled, because she found not only a very nice pillow, but also a couple of blankets. She took one and threw the other to the passenger’s seat.

“Thank you” she said, extremely grateful to anyone who would listen.

She lied down and immediately felt her body relaxing for the first time in a very long time.

“Sleep tight” she heard Abby saying as she softly closed the door.

Now that she had delivered her most urgent message, and knowing that help will soon be on the way, she curled-up and fell into one of the deepest sleeps of her life.

Lev grabbed Whitney’s backpack and Yara tried to help him, but he stopped her, lifting it with one hand. They exchanged a silent and short _conversation_ about what that meant, and agreed to do whatever they could to help Whitney in the same secret and private way.

Ellie had refused to wait inside the car with the excuse that Whitney needed a good rest more than her.

“Besides, I wouldn’t miss this for the world” she said, grabbing Abby’s arm and looking at Yara and Lev walking around, gathering wood.

“Not too far” Abby said to them in a soft voice and Ellie giggled at her side. 

“What?” she asked her in the same voice, and for a second Ellie thought that she was trying to sound sexy, but then it hit her. She was doing it for Whitney.

“Why are you blushing now?”

“How do you know I’m blushing?” Ellie asked in the same soft voice Abby was using.

“C’mon. Give me some credit”

“Oh man… Will I ever beat you at anything?”

“Beat me? I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for you”

“Now you’re giving me too much credit”

“I’m serious. Everything else is meaningless compared to what you’ve done for me”

“Stop it. Besides, I can say the same”

“Let’s say that we’re even for life then”

“ _For life?_ ”

“For as long as that may be”

Ellie’s hand found Abby’s, knowing that they were both experiencing a moment that would last a lifetime.

The glow of the fire the kids had started shone over their beaming faces and they turned to look at them. They were talking in hushed voices as they carefully threw more wood, and then Yara smiled when she saw them and walked closer.

“Come, we can sit here” she whispered and showed them to a couple of trunks that were set on the side of the road, conveniently surrounding the fire.

“I can see Jesse having a break here, after working on his _car_ ” Ellie said as she slowly sat down with Abby’s help.

“I bet I know who sits here too” Abby said with a chuckle, but stopped when she saw Ellie wincing.

“You ok?” she asked her as she sat at her side.

“Yeah, just tired”

Ellie had her eyes closed and was enjoying the warmth of both the crackling fire and Abby’s arm. The kids were having a sort of private conversation and they didn't look too happy.

Yara was asking Lev something in whispers, and he shook his head as he showed her his bag.

“What is it?” Abby asked and felt Ellie’s body stiffening with a muffled groan.

“I’m sorry, it’s nothing” Yara said and Abby looked from Ellie to her.

“It’s just… neither of us brought food” Yara said, a little ashamed.

“And I gave everything we had to Whitney” Ellie said, remembering it just now.

“Well, she surely needed it” Abby pointed out, glad that they hadn’t had time to eat, but then shuddering at the reason why.

“Wait!” Yara said a little too loud and covered her mouth, but no sound nor movement came from the vehicle.

“Yara!” Lev scolded her in a whisper and she mouthed “sorry” as she rummaged in one of the many inside pockets of the bag she finished crafting the day before.

“I just remembered I got this” she showed them the Seraphite food she had on her hands. 

Lev rolled his eyes, but Abby and Ellie looked thrilled. She rationed the two blocks including Whitney, Jesse and Claire in the division.

“Is this the one you made last week?” Abby asked her as she took her and Ellie’s portions.

“Yeah, I never got the chance to try it, but it should be good”

“Of course it’ll be good” Lev said and she shook her head.

“This is all I wanted” Ellie said, taking a big bite.

Yara chuckled and they all ate their portions in silence. Abby was looking at the rest of hers and frowned.

“We’ll be there soon” Ellie said to her and saw her frown disappearing.

“I know. I just…” Abby was trying to sound confident, but stopped when her voice got shaky.

Ellie wanted to touch her face, but winced and sat straight again.

“How bad does it hurt?” Abby’s voice wasn’t shaky anymore.

“It’s annoying”

“It’s not good if you’re too injured to travel. Nora’s counting on us”

She hated using Nora like this, but those words had done the trick. Ellie looked pensive and finally decided to go rest in the car. She took Abby’s hand and slowly and carefully stood up with her help. 

“I’m sorry I can’t stay” she said to the kids who were at her side in a second.

“It’s ok, you’re hurt” Yara said and Lev walked closer to Ellie and looked at her.

“Can I hug you really, really carefully?” he said, ignoring Yara’s gasp.

Ellie smiled and opened her arms just enough so he could put his arms around her. He did it as carefully as possible, resting his head on her chest. 

“I’m so happy you’re ok” he said, truly relieved.

“I’ll always be ok with you guys” she said hugging him with her good arm.

Lev walked back very softly, showing a big smile, and Yara took his place after Ellie’s silent invitation. 

“Thank you, I just, I don’t want him to be the only one” she said, trying to sound proud.

Ellie saw her smiling and could have sworn that a tear was daring to ruin her so far serious performance. And then she sobbed.

“Oh, Yara… it’s ok” Ellie said trying to comfort her, but feeling limited.

Abby joined the hug and Ellie smiled at her, grateful. She looked at Lev and soon they were sharing a very delicate group hug.

After one last goodbye Abby offered Ellie her arm and she accepted it with a chortle. They walked together looking like a loving couple and talking in whispers.

“Alright miss, this is it” Abby whispered and opened the door very carefully.

Ellie was worried she would wake Whitney up, but her snores were a sign that there was no actual danger of that. She got into the passenger’s seat with Abby’s help, who spent some time trying to get her as comfortable as possible without making any sound.

“Sweet dreams” she whispered when she saw her lying in the perfect position.

“Kiss goodnight?” Ellie whispered too and Abby leaned down, gave her a very long kiss and then caressed her face, not taking her eyes from her.

“My saviour” Abby said, giving her another kiss.

“Now get that energy back” she said with a wink and kissed her forehead.

Ellie smiled and blinked lazily. She was sleeping only seconds after the door was closed.

Abby walked away from the car as quietly as possible. She looked back one more time and sighed. She loved her, but she could be really stubborn sometimes. The kids looked anxious, and she couldn’t help but chuckle when she saw them trying to peek.

“Is she gonna be ok?” Lev asked once she got close enough.

“Yeah, she just needs to get some sleep” Abby said and sat with a sigh in the free spot between them.

“How are _you_?” Yara asked her and saw her smile.

“I’m perfect now”

“Were you scared?” Lev asked.

“Yes”

He didn't expect an answer so honest and she was tempted to laugh.

“I was scared I’d never see you again” Abby said with complete honesty.

The look on their faces was priceless, and they both came closer to her. Abby opened her arms to receive their hugs with a smile that came from the heart.

“We were so scared” Yara said after a while, sitting straight and looking at the fire.

“I wasn’t” Lev said, trying to sound brave and leaning over Abby to stare at his sister.

“Lev, I saw you. You were all shaky”

“That was just, you know... emotions”

“Yeah, an emotion called fear”

They all laughed and had to cover their mouths, fearing they would wake up the ones sleeping. Lev tiptoed towards the car and didn’t have to put his head against it, because now the snores had multiplied.

“I don’t know how Whitney doesn’t wake up. The first time I heard Ellie snoring I thought it was a demon” Lev said giggling.

“Oh my god Lev, don’t you ever tell her that!” Abby said, containing the laugh and holding her belly.

“You snore too, you know?” Yara told him when he sat opposite them.

“I know” he looked so smug that she threw a small pebble at his feet and he started looking for another one.

“Don’t start” Abby said, and they showed their tongues at each other.

“So, how was meeting Jesse and Claire?” she asked them, eager to know about that experience.

They were so excited that she had to remind them to lower their voices more than once. They told her everything about their encounter, the things they talked about, how scared they had been when they heard their secret code, and their thoughts until they found Whitney.

“When we saw the first body, that’s when I got scared” Yara said looking at the fire.

“There were so many. Did Ellie…?” Lev asked and Abby nodded.

They looked at the fire, thinking about their own experiences with survival.

“Why did they take you? They looked like your peo… like Wolves” Lev said.

“I killed their leader”

“Back on the island?” Yara asked her, and Lev knew exactly who he had been.

Abby nodded and they all stared at the fire again.

“Do you think there will be other Wolves coming after you?” Lev asked and Yara shot him a killer glance.

“I don’t know, to be honest. I hope not” 

“Me too” Yara said looking at her.

“Don’t worry about it, we’re gonna be ok” she said to both of them.

They remained in silence once more, taking care of the fire. Yara threw a log that scattered some sparks. The night was getting colder by the second, and Abby told them to get inside the car, but they refused.

“I couldn’t sleep! I’m still too excited” Lev said and Yara nodded.

Half an hour later they were both deeply asleep, covered with the blanket that was tied to Whitney’s backpack. Abby was moving the embers, thinking about too many things at the same time. She carefully threw another log and looked at the dark road that led to the safe house.

“ _I really hope there are no more wolves around_ ”

Her thoughts went from the brave ones traveling relentlessly to get gas for the car, to Nora. She shook her head, knowing that it wouldn’t do her any good to picture her dear friend as a prisoner.

Nora was absentmindedly looking at a bee in a flower. Her determination to be present had lasted only a day, the sorrow and guilt she felt were too deeply embedded in her soul, and she couldn’t spend a minute without reliving horrible memories.

She saw Lily’s face, she heard her talking, but couldn’t really understand what she was saying. Nothing made sense at times, and then everything made sense.

If she hadn’t been here, Arnie would still be alive. She should have died with Bear. She shouldn’t be here, she should be with Abby and Whitney… Whitney, was she alive? Did she notice her absence? If so, how long until she finds help?

The possibilities for a rescue were so little that she only fell deeper into the pit of despair her mind dug without rest.

Lily tried to cheer her up everyday, but with no results yet. She wanted to know which things would be good for her, but it was difficult talking to someone who was trapped in her own mind. And they had talked too little when they were working with Arnold, because Nora had spent most of her time with him. Lily pursed her lips at the memory of Nora blushing and then laughing as she told her that Arnold had a surprise for her. 

They never got to see what that surprise had been. There were too many things they would probably never see again, and Lily tried to stay calm before falling into her own pit of despair.

“Got you some meat today” she said to Nora as she put a plate in front of her.

Their new cabin was perfect and they even had good mattresses, which was a real luxury in a place like this. But the best part was that their rations of food were considerably better now.

Lily procured all of the comfort and resources they needed, but in order to do so, she had to enter the select group of women that gave their dignity away in exchange for these earthly pleasures. And that hadn’t been hard. 

All Lily wanted was to secure food for them both. The rest was just a bonus, if it can be called that.

Nora wasn’t forced to do heavy duties now and since she had shown a particular ability when it came to peeling and preparing vegetables, she was sort of silently in charge of that area without even knowing so.

Lily had gone as far as making a deal with a boy that would bring Nora the baskets with vegetables early in the morning, and then picked them up in the afternoon. That way she wouldn’t need to walk away from her safe spot. 

And that hasn’t been a favor, nor it was free, but Lily didn’t mind. She had a plan.

Right now, there was practically nothing wrong in their lives. Except for the fact that it couldn’t be called a life.

“I’m gonna be late again. Please, eat and get some rest” Lily said as she put a hand over Nora’s shoulder, but took it out quickly when she saw her stiffening.

She left without another word and a very sour face. Nora heard the door closing, but she didn’t turn to look.

“You’re almost late, hurry up” a girl said to Lily when she got to the big place that used to be a restaurant.

“What’s up with them today?” Lily asked when she heard yelling and the sound of broken glass.

“They lost a couple of guys. Infected. You better hurry”

Lily bit her lip. These guys were awful, but they managed to be even worse when they were in a bad mood. Last time they hit her a little too hard and she wasn't looking forward to another round of that.

“You can do this” she said, not really recognizing the woman that looked back at her from the broken piece of mirror that was precariously hanging on the wall.

It was a long night, but she eventually left the place with a pot filled with a very high quality stew. And a very tired and beaten body.

“They hit you too?” the girl from before asked her as she slowly cleaned her bloody nose.

“Not too much. Here, use this” Lily handed her a small and clean handkerchief, which she took gladly.

“Thanks Lily, you’re the best”

“Thank Nora, she made it” Lily wanted to smile, but the memory of a healthy and well instructed Nora crossed her mind for a second.

“She’s gonna be fine, just give her some time”

Lily managed to give her a faint smile and dried her tears. They said goodbye and she headed towards the place she shared with her silent and hurt friend.

“See you tomorrow” a nasty old man said showing his horrible smile.

She nodded and said nothing. Her blood felt icy, and she knew that she was about to find out the limit of her resistance. She just wanted to be sure that Nora would be ok.

When she opened the door, she saw her sitting in the same spot she had been when she left. She sighed and put her things away, then had her usual shower. The cold water felt refreshing, but it has been a while since she felt really clean.

“Are you hungry?” she asked when she got out.

Nora shook her head. Lily walked towards her and took the half-eaten plate from her lap.

“At least you’re eating something” she said and put it in the sink.

The action made her wince and groan. Nora stood up and walked towards her.

“You need to stop”

“Nora…”

“You’re suffering”

“Not as much as you”

“I’m done with suffering”

“Me too”

They looked at each other and Lily threw her arms around her, feeling both happy and sad. This was their first real interaction in a very long time. She felt Nora’s arms slowly hugging her and they started crying together.

“I’m sorry” Nora said between sobs.

“It’s ok, you were hurting”

“I still am. Probably always will”

“I know”

“Lily, you need to stop”

Lily looked at her and smiled. She nodded and they sat and talked for hours, Nora feeling as if she had just woken up from a very long sleep.

Jesse and Claire reached the safe house without any problems and much sooner than expected.

“What are you doing?” Claire asked Jesse when she saw him opening the door instead of going to the shed at the back.

“I’ll be out in a sec, I need to do something first”

“Alright, _I’ll_ start then”

“Don’t say it like that!” Jesse’s voice came from inside the house and Claire chuckled.

She opened the shed with the key that was hidden behind a rock and sighed with relief when she saw the gallons filled and ready for transport. She grabbed them and put them down one by one, which took her some time. But then she smiled when she heard Jesse’s voice at her back.

“Shall we?” he said with a hand on her shoulder and she nodded.

They carried the gallons to the horses and Claire noticed that there was something already tied at the back of Jesse’s.

“What’s that?” she asked him, and nodded at the strange package.

“Oh, something Lev asked me to do. What a clever little guy” he said with appreciation.

“They’re all really cool. I’m so happy we found Abby and Ellie”

“Yeah, I missed that little brat”

Claire smiled, knowing that it was true. She had witnessed the change in his demeanor ever since they had found Ellie. And Ellie looked equally happy to see him.

“Alright, I think that’s it” Jesse said as they secured the last gallon.

“Are you ok?” Claire asked him and he nodded.

“You?”

“Yeah” 

They stared at each other for a moment, and smiled before climbing to their horses.

“Let’s go, no time to waste”

Jesse was on full patrol mode. He had experience in rescue missions, and now that Ellie was in the picture again, everything looked brighter. He smiled as they sped up on the road, already knowing what shortcuts to take and what paths to avoid. They spotted the bodies on the ground and knew that they were getting close.

“Wait!” Jesse yelled as he stopped his horse.

“You ok?” Claire asked and saw him jumping down.

“Yeah, just give me a sec”

He kneeled next to one of the dead Wolves and looked around with his flashlight on. He smiled and grabbed the automatic rifle he had been expecting to find.

“Night vision” he said with a grin and resumed the journey.

Lev and Yara were the lookouts while Abby slept a bit and they were having a silent and not discussed yawning competition.

“Lev, stop, I ca… can’t do this anymore!” Yara said putting her hand over her mouth to cover a huge yawn.

“It’s you who… who….” he did the same.

“Lev!”

“It’s not my fault!”

The sound of hooves put a stop to this sleepy state, also waking Abby, who was now stretching with a smile.

“Good” she said when she realized what was happening and turned to look at the car, where a door opened and Ellie jumped down, looking all scruffy, but well rested.

Whitney was soon behind her, feeling brand new.

“Talking about my braid seems crazy right now” Abby said to Ellie, who laughed and tried to fix her disheveled hair.

Lev, Yara and Whitney were gathering their things when Jesse and Claire got to their side.

“Hi there” Claire said, waving her hand at the happy faces.

“Hey Lev, what’s up?” Jesse asked him when he got closer.

“Uhm, the sky?” he answered shyly looking up.

Abby smiled and told him the meaning of that question in a very discreet way.

“Oh…” was his only answer and he went to greet their friends.

“I think we’re gonna have to teach them a few things” Ellie whispered in her ear.

“Can’t wait” Abby said, thinking that they’ll be lucky if that was going to be their only worry from now on.

“Lev, got your request” Jesse said, showing him a bag that looked like a chest.

“What’s that?” Yara asked Lev, but he gave her a mysterious look and peeked inside.

“Food” he said with a huge grin.

“Awesome!” both Ellie and Abby said as they looked at what he was showing them. 

He had clearly told Jesse to bring everything they had left to eat, and now they were looking at an assortment of food. He took a bottle of water and they were soon sharing some very good jerky, and feeling a lot more energized.

Yara handed over the rest of her Seraphite food and was surprised when Claire told her that it was her favourite. Jesse found it interesting, and Whitney was out of herself with this new delicacy.

“Alright, let’s get busy!” Claire yelled after a very brief breakfast, and she started taking out the gallons that were tied to the horses.

Jesse filled the tank and they still had gas left. They all helped storing them safely, trying to contain Ellie’s enthusiasm, since her wound could open any minute.

“Remember what you used to say to me?” Yara asked her when she wouldn’t listen.

“That’s not fair”

“It’s super fair”

Ellie laughed and agreed to just sit and watch.

“So? Do you like my car?” Jesse asked Ellie after a while and she chuckled.

“ _Car_. Yeah, I love it”

Jesse looked proud and she was tempted to push him, but she couldn’t risk being caught by Yara. 

Claire tied a note to one of the horses, gave them a little pat, and saw them going away.

“ _Godspeed_ ” she whispered and Yara smiled at her side.

“Ready to go?” Jesse asked around and everyone walked inside the car. 

They were all eager to leave. The idea of Nora being prisoner in such a place was unbearable. Whitney answered every question they had to the best of her abilities, so by now they all had a very good notion of what to expect. And even though it didn’t sound good at all, they were confident that they would succeed, and they were all sharing plans and strategies.

“ _Nora, we’re coming for you_ ” Whitney thought as she closed her eyes and let the fresh air cross her face.

It was going to be a long ride, and they were all ready for it.


End file.
